Don't hold your breath: Amazon fires aren't depleting Earth's oxygen supply

There's enough oxygen in the air to last for millions of years, and the amount is set by geology rather than land use

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A tract of Amazon jungle burns in Boca do Acre, Amazonas state, Brazil August 24, 2019 
 
Amazon rainforest: Fires in the Amazon rainforest have captured attention worldwide in recent days. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who took office in 2019, pledged in his campaign to reduce environmental protection and increase agricultural development in the Amazon, and he appears to have followed through on that promise.

The resurgence of forest clearing in the Amazon, which had decreased more than 80% following a peak in 2004, is alarming for many reasons. Tropical forests harbor many species of plants and animals found nowhere else. They are important refuges for indigenous people, and contain enormous stores of carbon as wood and other organic matter that would otherwise contribute to the climate crisis.

Some media accounts have suggested that fires in the Amazon also...read more

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