FACT CHECK #D9KSY0B0

WHAT WE FOUND

The claim that the Amazon rainforest produces 20% of the world's oxygen is false and stems from a scientific misunderstanding 3 4 6. High-credibility sources estimate that the Amazon actually produces between 6% and 9% of Earth's oxygen 1, with some estimates even lower at 1% to 6% 9. Furthermore, the Amazon consumes nearly all the oxygen it produces through the respiration of its organisms and the decomposition of organic matter, making its net contribution to the atmosphere negligible 1 7. In reality, roughly half of the oxygen production on Earth comes from the ocean, primarily from oceanic plankton 2. While the Amazon is a vital and ineffable living wonder, it does not function as the planet's primary oxygen supplier 5 12.

SOURCES

1. 1 · factcheck.orgFACT-CHECKER
   Amazon rainforest Archives - FactCheck.org

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2. 2 · oceanservice.noaa.govACADEMIC
   How much oxygen comes from the ocean?

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3. 3 · snopes.comFACT-CHECKER
   Amazon Fires Are Destructive, But They Aren't Depleting Earth's ...

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4. 4 · apnews.comFACT-CHECKER
   Take a breath: the Amazon does not produce 20% of the world's ...

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5. 5 · theatlantic.comACADEMIC
   The Amazon Is Not Earth's Lungs - The Atlantic

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6. 6 · pbs.orgACADEMIC
   No, the Amazon fires won't deplete the Earth's oxygen supply. Here's ...

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7. 7 · source.colostate.eduACADEMIC
   Amazon fires are destructive, but they aren't depleting Earth's ...

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8. 8 · nationalgeographic.comWEB
   Why the Amazon doesn't really produce 20% of the world's oxygen.

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9. 9 · kvue.comWEB
   VERIFY: Is the Amazon Forest responsible for 20% of the world's ...

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10. 10 · oxfordecosystems.orgWEB
    Does the amazon provide 20% of our oxygen? - Oxford Ecosystems

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11. 11 · theconversation.comWEB
    Amazon fires are destructive, but they aren't depleting Earth's ...

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12. 12 · longnow.orgWEB
    The Amazon is not the Earth's Lungs — LONG NOW IDEAS

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