Independent: It covers an area 25 times bigger than Britain, is home to a bewildering concentration of flora and fauna and is often described as the “lungs of the world” for its ability to absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide through its immense photosynthetic network of trees and leaves. The Amazon rainforest is one of the biggest and most important living stores of carbon on the planet through its ability to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into solid carbon, kept locked in the trunks of …