Earth’s climate defences failing: BBC Learning English from the News

From BBC Learning English

this is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines.

In this programme, trees

are Earth's great defence against climate change.

But last year they failed.

Hello, I'm Georgie. And I'm Pippa.

In this programme, we look at one big news story

and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it.

You can find all the vocabulary and headlines from this episode,

as well as a worksheet on our website,

bbclearningenglishcom.

So, let's hear more about this story.

The Earth's oceans

and land take in about half of all human carbon emissions.

This is the planet's natural defence against human-made global warming.

But a new study has shown that last year, the hottest year on record,

Earth's forests, plants and soil took in almost no carbon from the atmosphere.

Now, this is important because as the Earth heats up, scientists are worried

that these natural processes, which are essential

for fighting climate change, aren't working properly.

And we've got a headline that summarises these concerns.

Trees and land absorbed almost no CO2 last year.

Is nature's carbon sink failing?

And that's from The Guardian, a newspaper in the UK.

Okay, let's hear that again.

This one is from The Guardian in the UK.

Trees and land absorbed almost no CO2 last year.

Is nature's carbon sink failing?

Now, this headline is about the new study that is worrying scientists.

And we're looking at this word absorb.

And it has a few meanings, doesn't it?

Yes. Literally it means take something in.

So that could be a liquid or gas moving inside or moving through a surface.

So think about a sponge.

A sponge absorbs water.

OK. So, that's liquid.

But in the headline we're talking about the gas carbon dioxide, CO2.

Trees absorb CO2.

They remove it from the atmosphere and take it in.

They absorb it.

What else is interesting about the word absorb, Georgie?

Well, it also has some metaphorical meanings.

We often talk about the ability to absorb information or knowledge.

For example, we're teaching our listeners some vocabulary,

but if they really want to absorb the knowledge,

they should practice using the worksheet on our website.

That's right. And something can also be absorbing,

which is an adjective which means interesting.

For example, I went to see a film last night and it was so absorbing.

Three hours just flew by.

I was absorbed by it.

We've had absorb.

Take something in. For example,

I've got a new mop and it absorbs so much water, it's great.

This is Learning English

from the News, our podcast about the news headlines.

Today, we're talking about a new study which found that

in 2023, the land absorbed almost no carbon.

So, why are scientists so worried about this?

Well, reaching net zero targets would be almost impossible without nature's help.

Yes, we don't yet have technology that can remove carbon from the atmosphere

on such a large scale.

So Earth's land and oceans are an essential part of our defence

against climate change.

In fact, for more than 100 countries,

they need the land to do its job properly,

to even meet their climate targets.

OK, let's have our next headline.

This one is from Down to Earth, which is an online magazine.

Carbon sink broken?

Last year, trees and land barely absorbed any CO2.

That headline again from Down to Earth, an online magazine.

Carbon sink broken? Last year

trees and land barely absorbed any CO2.

So, this new study is causing scientists to ask if the carbon sink is broken.

We're interested in this phrase carbon sink.

Now, Pippa, I know what a sink is.

I have one in my kitchen and bathroom.

It's like a bowl where I wash my hands.

Yes, that's the noun.

And as a verb it means to move downwards, usually through water.

For example, a stone sinks to the bottom of a lake.

And I think both of those meanings are useful to understand

carbon sink. Exactly.

So first, imagine CO2 moving downwards from the atmosphere to the trees.

The CO2 sinks.

Then remember our kitchen sink.

The sink takes in or absorbs the water.

Imagine the Earth's land like a kitchen sink.

It drains the CO2 from the atmosphere and stores it

in the trees, plants and soil.

So nature's carbon sinks are very important

and scientists worry that they are broken or failing.

We've had carbon sink, something that absorbs carbon

from the atmosphere and stores it.

For example, we have to be careful about damaging carbon sinks

like the oceans and forests.

This is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines.

Today we're talking about concerns

that nature's defence against climate change is failing.

So, the Earth seems less able to absorb carbon from the atmosphere. But why?

Well, with a rise in extreme weather, the planet is seeing more wildfires

and drought. And wildfires in particular mean

that instead of forests absorbing CO2, they become producers of it.

Yes, this is because when trees burn,

they release all the carbon they've stored into the atmosphere,

and they also won't be around in the future as a carbon sink.

Droughts are also important because they mean plants are less able to grow,

which means they won't absorb as much CO2 as they could.

Yes. And we have a headline about these concerns.

Wildfires weaken global carbon sink, putting climate targets at risk.

And that's from Meteored.

That headline again from Meteored.

Wildfires weaken global carbon sink, putting climate targets at risk.

And this time we're looking at the verb weaken.

Now we should know what the adjective weak means.

It's the opposite of strong.

But Pippa, what about weaken?

Well, weaken means to make something weak.

So in the headline, the wildfires are making the carbon sinks weak.

Wildfires weaken the global carbon sink.

So, with some adjectives, we can convert them into verbs

by adding -en. Weak becomes weaken.

Yes. And this is particularly true of adjectives which are about the condition

of something. Loose becomes loosen, tight becomes tighten.

I could tighten the lid on the jar, or loosen it.

Yes, exactly.

But there are some strange ones.

So, strong becomes strengthen, long becomes lengthen.

So, here the first vowel also changes from o to e,

and we also add the th in there: strengthen.

We've had weaken, make something weak.

For example,

over time storms weakened the bridge and now it's too dangerous to use.

That's it for this episode of Learning English from the News.

We'll be back next week with another news story.

If you want to learn more language about climate change,

we have loads of programmes on our website that can help.

Visit bbclearningenglish.com.

And don't forget to find us on social media.

Just search BBC Learning English on your favourite platform.

Bye for now. Bye.