$100M xPrize for Carbon Removal

Re:$100M xPrize for Carbon Removal by hitpointdrew on Tuesday July 13, 2021 @08:34PM (#27828019)

> The Amazon rain forest is not net zero because of animals. It's net zero (actually net negative last I heard) because humans are burning it to make way for agriculture.

According to the documentary "One Strange Rock", which I admit I have not fact checked, your statement is absolutely false. The documentary claims 100% of the oxygen produced by the Amazon rain forest is used up by the animals that live in it.

EDIT:

Also this PBS article backups the claim. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/no-the-amazon-fires-won...

"Forest plants produce lots of oxygen, and forest microbes consume a lot of oxygen. As a result, net production of oxygen by forests – and indeed, all land plants – is very close to zero."

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Re:$100M xPrize for Carbon Removal by eloff on Tuesday July 13, 2021 @09:10PM (#27828329)

I find that believable, but we're talking about carbon, not oxygen.

Forests do sequester carbon for a period, although most of it is released again in fires and decomposition (chemically just a slow fire.)

But the point is that a forest locks up a lot of carbon compared to cleared grazing or cropland.

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