If rainforests were Earth’s respiratory system, the Amazon would be a full lung. The region 27 half of the tropics’ undisturbed forests. Its flora absorb 1.5bn tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year, equivalent to 4% of 28 from fossil fuels. This lung is being deforested at cancerous 29 . A chunk nearly the size of Kuwait 30 or burned every year. This both eliminates CO2-absorbing trees and 31 their stored carbon back into the air.