Follow your curiosity

What discovery has been shared with you?

FACTREE gives you something interesting to discover every day — and something worth talking about together.

Start with one fact. Explore it, go deeper, then follow whichever branch catches your imagination.

Choose subjects for a surprise

Exploring any topic

Begin your discovery

Your next discovery is one click away.

Choose one or more subjects above, or leave Any Topic selected and let curiosity decide.

Environmental Science

Why peatland drainage accelerates carbon dioxide emissions

Quick fact

When peatlands are drained, they can release up to 30 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare per year—equivalent to the annual emissions of about six cars.

Why this is interesting

Did you know that draining a swamp can turn it from a giant carbon sponge into a carbon emitter? Peatlands store twice as much carbon as all the world's forests combined—so why does draining them release that carbon as CO2?