The British Embassy in Brazil announced a new funding initiative for a crucial scientific experiment in the depths of the Amazon rainforest aimed at measuring the effects of rising carbon dioxide levels on trees. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited the project, where scientists are constructing dozens of towers to inject carbon dioxide into the upper branches of trees and monitor how the plants absorb it.
The experiment will help scientists gain a better understanding of how the tropical forest responds to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. In addition to causing rising temperatures, the gas can fertilize plants and may have potential effects on the water cycle. These factors will determine the forests' ability to cope with climate change in the coming decades.
Britain is contributing £7.3 million ($9.2 million) to the project, which will be added to Brazilian funding.
