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be depending too much on "Carbon Sinks" (i.e. Oceans and Land Vegetation)...studies are showing that they are under stress (especially due to wildfires and droughts on land), thus allowing global temperatures to rise more quickly...as we are seeing in the last decade.

Here's some additional info on that issue...
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While scientists are increasingly concerned about the potential for climate change to trigger tipping points and accelerate warming, there is no definitive scientific consensus that natural CO2 sinks have become fully saturated, leading to an immediate and significantly steeper rise in global temperatures.

Here's a more nuanced breakdown:

The role of natural carbon sinks

Natural carbon sinks, such as oceans and land-based ecosystems (like forests and soil), absorb a significant portion of human-caused CO2 emissions, slowing the rate of atmospheric CO2 increase and global warming.

These sinks have been crucial in mitigating climate change, removing about half of the CO2 emitted by human activities.

Concerns about the future of carbon sinks

However, there is growing evidence that the capacity and efficiency of these natural sinks are being impacted by climate change itself and other human activities like deforestation.

For example, rising ocean temperatures decrease CO2 solubility, making the ocean less effective at absorbing it.

Droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires can reduce the carbon-absorbing capacity of forests and soils.

Some studies suggest that land sinks may be weakening faster than projected by some models.

The 2024 Global Carbon Budget estimates that ocean and land sinks were 6% and 27% smaller, respectively, this decade (2014-2023) than they would have been without climate change.

Carbon sink saturation and tipping points

Saturation doesn't necessarily mean a complete shutdown: Instead, it might imply a decrease in the efficiency or rate of CO2 absorption by natural sinks, meaning they remove a smaller proportion of future emissions.

Tipping points are a major concern: Crossing critical thresholds (tipping points) in the climate system could lead to self-reinforcing feedback loops, potentially accelerating warming and having irreversible consequences.

Examples of potential tipping points relevant to carbon sinks:

Thawing permafrost, which releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Dieback of the Amazon rainforest, potentially turning it from a carbon sink into a carbon source.

Recent observations are a source of worry: Studies suggest that land carbon sinks, while not completely collapsing, showed a significant decline in CO2 uptake in 2023, potentially influenced by extreme weather events like heat and drought.

Conclusion

While natural carbon sinks are still absorbing CO2, their capacity is finite and appears to be under increasing strain due to climate change and human activities. Some studies indicate a weakening efficiency of these sinks and raise concerns about the possibility of reaching saturation points, especially in the context of increasing global temperatures and extreme weather events.

Crossing these thresholds would represent an acceleration of climate change and underscore the urgency of transitioning to net-zero emissions as rapidly as possible.
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