Light on the Arctic Horizon

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They may not officially constitute a tipping point, but the forests that line the Artic Circle hold massive potential to speed up or slow down global warming.

Nearly half of the greenhouse gas carbon that exists on land is contained in these forests, much of it in permafrost. If the permafrost melts, the peat and other plant matter trapped in it would decay, releasing carbon which would, in turn, speed the melting. The trees also store carbon.

Development, mining and logging account for a quarter of the carbon loss in forests, so new Canadian initiatives to give financial perks for preserving land in that country’s so-called “boreal forests” could have some positive effect. Boreal forests in Canada and Scandinavia are likely to be better cared for than those in the U.S. and Russia, whose environmental records, frankly, suck. Canada is also exploring options to sequester carbon dioxide in these relatively pristine lands—a practice that seems questionable, but may be the best option—after reducing our carbon emissions—for keeping our feet out of nature’s fire.

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PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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