In one of the most fascinating environmental discoveries of the year, scientists have found that certain fig trees in Kenya can literally turn carbon dioxide into stone. Unlike most plants that simply store carbon in their wood and leaves, these remarkable trees take the process a step further… transforming CO₂ into tiny crystals of calcium carbonate, the same mineral found in limestone and chalk. This means that instead of releasing carbon back into the atmosphere when the tree dies or decays, it remains locked away for centuries in a rock-like form. Researchers from Kenya, Switzerland, Austria, and the U.S. presented this breakthrough at a major science conference in Prague, showing that fig species like Ficus wakefieldii are especially good at this process. Using advanced imaging at Stanford University’s synchrotron lab, they confirmed how deep within the trunk and surrounding soil these mineral “carbon stones” were forming… a hidden treasure of climate protection growing silently in nature.
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