0
What else can I help you with?
Does burning fossil fuels affect the carbon cycle?
Yes, the carbon cycle is responsible for moving carbon in and out of the atmosphere. It normally works carefully so there is always the right balance, because carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a greenhouse that helps to keep the earth comfortably warm. Burning fossil fuels releases age-old carbon that has been hidden away for millions of years. Releasing it now imposes an extra burden on the carbon cycle which is unable to keep it balanced. This is why carbon dioxide levels and rising and the atmosphere is warming.
What is the difference between a carbon source and a carbon sink, and how do they contribute to the overall balance of carbon in the environment?
A carbon source releases carbon into the atmosphere, like burning fossil fuels. A carbon sink absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, like forests or oceans. Sources add carbon, sinks remove it, helping maintain a balance in the environment.
How does the burning of fossil fuels by humans affect the carbon cycle?
The carbon cycle moves carbon in and out of the atmosphere and has kept a balance there for millions of years. The carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have kept the earth warm. Burning fossil fuel releases CO2 that has been held underground for millennia, so this carbon is an extra burdenon the carbon cycle, and it is not able to remove all the extra CO2.This is how the carbon cycle is being disturbed. This is what is causing global warming and hence climate change.
How does burning fossil fuels and deforestation contribute to climate change?
Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) in industry, transport and the generation of electricity, releases carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the greenhouse gases causing global warming. Deforestation destroys forests that are carbon sinks, that is, they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it.
State three ways human activities add carbon to the atmosphere?
Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). This releases billions of tonnes of extra carbon dioxide (CO2) that has been hidden under the ground for millions of years.Cutting down the great forests of the world. Vegetation absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere and stores the carbon. Trees can store half their body weight in carbon for hundreds of years. But only if they are growing.
Does burning fossil fuels affect the carbon cycle?
Yes, the carbon cycle is responsible for moving carbon in and out of the atmosphere. It normally works carefully so there is always the right balance, because carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a greenhouse that helps to keep the earth comfortably warm. Burning fossil fuels releases age-old carbon that has been hidden away for millions of years. Releasing it now imposes an extra burden on the carbon cycle which is unable to keep it balanced. This is why carbon dioxide levels and rising and the atmosphere is warming.
Does global warming have anything to do with trees?
Trees remove carbon dioxide from the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Deforestation means that there are no longer enough trees to remove the excess carbon from our burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas).
How does the burning of fossil fuels impact the carbon cycle?
Power plants burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) add to global warming. Global warming puts more heat (energy) into the atmosphere. This will probably mean a wetter atmosphere and increased precipitation.
What is the difference between a carbon source and a carbon sink, and how do they contribute to the overall balance of carbon in the environment?
A carbon source releases carbon into the atmosphere, like burning fossil fuels. A carbon sink absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, like forests or oceans. Sources add carbon, sinks remove it, helping maintain a balance in the environment.
How does the burning of fossil fuels by humans affect the carbon cycle?
The carbon cycle moves carbon in and out of the atmosphere and has kept a balance there for millions of years. The carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have kept the earth warm. Burning fossil fuel releases CO2 that has been held underground for millennia, so this carbon is an extra burdenon the carbon cycle, and it is not able to remove all the extra CO2.This is how the carbon cycle is being disturbed. This is what is causing global warming and hence climate change.
What has the IPCC got to say about global warming?
The InterGovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that global warming is happening, and that it is being caused by the human activities of deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels. Deforestation means that removed trees can no longer remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that has been long hidden underground.
Explain how people are adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?
There is a natural cycle in which animals add carbon dioxide to the air and plants remove it, thus maintaining a stable concentration of carbon dioxide over a very long period of time. Humans are part of this natural cycle. Since the start of the Industrial Age, humans have been adding additional carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, increasing the proportion by around 35 per cent, from 260-280 parts per million (ppm) to the present 380 ppm. We do this by burning fossil fuels, manufacturing cement and by deforestation. We can reduce our impact on carbon dioxide concentrations by reducing and eventually eliminating our consumption of coal, oil and natural gas, by finding alternative processes for cement manufacture, including the capture and sequestration of gas produced, and by ceasing deforestation - even allowing some forests to return.
How does burning fossil fuels and deforestation contribute to climate change?
Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) in industry, transport and the generation of electricity, releases carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the greenhouse gases causing global warming. Deforestation destroys forests that are carbon sinks, that is, they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it.
Where does all the carbon from the burning of fossil fuel end up?
Carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) ends up in the atmosphere. The normal carbon cycle is able to remove more than half of it, but the rest remains, slowly building up from 280 ppm (parts per million) 150 years ago to the present (2013) 400 ppm. This build up is what is causing global warming.
Why is carbon dioxide now 0.038 in the air?
It is now (2018) 0.041%. Because we humans have put it there by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) in industry, transport and the generation of electricity, which releases carbon dioxide (CO2). We are also responsible for deforestation, which has removed millions of trees that used to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
What are the two main problems causing carbon dioxide in your atmosphere?
Deforestation has destroyed the trees that used to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.The burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) in industry, transport and the generation of electricity, releases extra carbon dioxide.
How are humans affecting carbon dioxide gas that is in the atmosphere?
We continue to add to it. Humans have been digging up and burning fossil fuels for 250 years. Burning this coal, oil and natural gas for industry, transport and to generate electricity has released billions of tons of extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. We have also cut down forests all over the world that used to remove carbon dioxide from the air.
