The Planet's Breath Stumbles: How El Niño Stilled Earth's Lungs
From July 2023 to July 2024, Earth's atmosphere gained carbon dioxide at a rate of 3.66 parts per million per year. That is the fastest pace since 1979. The reason is not that factories and cars suddenly started emitting more CO₂. The planet's lungs—forests and soils—took a shallower breath.
The planet breathes through its green cover.