Thanks To Global Warming, Plants Can't Do Their Job As Well

This awareness is timely as the U.K.'s Met Office, a national weather service, just predicted that in 2019 atmospheric carbon dioxide levels will increase more than they have in the past 62 years.

"With emissions already at a record high, the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will be larger than last year due to a slower removal by natural carbon sinks," the Met Office said in a release.

Let's break that statement down: While increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide are attributed to fossil fuel emissions and land clearing (AKA, human activities), they are tapered thanks to the help of plants. Yep, plants and forests act as natural carbon sinks and absorb excess CO2 that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. This also means that when plants aren't functioning at their full capacity, we feel the impact of global warming even more.

While it's overwhelming hearing about the vicious cycle of global warming, there's a lot we can do to help. You can start with small lifestyle changes such as carpooling, choosing reusable items instead of single-use plastics, and joining community efforts to shift environmental policy.