When measures designed to curb climate change have a beneficial effect and result in a greener planet, it is cheering. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been on a relentless upward trend but things would be far worse if countries in the northern hemisphere were not planting forests and restoring natural habitats. Measurements taken over 60 years of the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during the growing season show that, north of the equator, plants are absorbing more carbon than they used to.

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This is not enough to halt global warming but it is at least slowing it down. The increase in uptake became apparent in the 1990s but has again grown significantly since the turn of the century. Sadly, this has not been replicated in the southern hemisphere, where many tropical forests are still being destroyed at an alarming rate. The figures from the north have surprised scientists, who had not anticipated this so-called carbon sink in their climate models. Some contributions are from the use of extra fertiliser in Asia, but the scientists believe that the main driver is the growth of young forests, particularly in China and North America, which is locking the carbon in young trees. It proves that planting trees and restoring forests works.