The+Carbon+Cycle+2

=THE CARBON CYCLE = = And Its Importance For Climate Change = = By Jessie Mehrhoff, Kelsey Rankin, and Brandi Stenglein = media type="custom" key="2989528"media type="custom" key="3577678" Table Of Contents: 1. All About Carbon (PowerPoint) 2. Importance of the Carbon Cycle a. Relationships with Chemistry & Climate Change b. Presence in the Environment c. The Start; Or Is There One? 3. Carbon Cycle in Our World a. Photosynthesis b. Decomposition c. Aquatic Respiration d. Fossil Fuels & Combustion 4. Human Impact on the Carbon Cycle 5. Go Carbon Free a.Too Costly 6.News From Around the Cycle 7. Sources  Introduction To Carbon: A PowerPoint media type="custom" key="3014182"


 * Importance of Carbon to Life: Why We Have the Cycle (overview) **
 * There is alot of chemistry involved with not only the carbon cycle but with its relationship with climate change as well.
 * There are many ways that living things get carbon from their non-living enviroment. Since carbon in living matter is about 100 times larger than the concentration on earth, living things must get carbon from their inorganic surroundings.
 * Carbon is present in the inorganic enviroment in many ways. It is present in the atmosphere and then dissloves in water which forms HCO3-. It is also found in carbonate rocks known as coral and limestone ( CaCO3), matter that is now dead like humus found in soil, and coal and petroleum deposits which come from dead organic matter.
 * Plants feed off the carbon released by humans and animals, causing the plants to release oxygen. Without the carbon, there would be no plants, causing there to be less animals.


 * [[image:carbon_cycle.jpg width="437" height="280" align="right"]]Where To Find Bits & Pieces of The Carbon Cycle: The Carbon Cycle in Our World **

//There is no exact start to the carbon cycle, since the element can be found in all phases at all times, however, each of these phases impacts an extremely different aspect of the ecosystems. Here are a few places you can find the cycle; along with it's chemical explanation for each.// //Photosynthesis:// Plants do not need animals, but animals need plants. All animals need to intake carbon compunds, which come from plant matter. There are about 800*10^12 kg of Carbon assumed to be stored in plant matter and organic compounds, worldwide ("Tutorial").The carbon compounds found in our bodies come from carbohydrates, fats and protiens which can be traced back to plant life (Gruenberg, 57). When plants photosynthesis they release Oxygen (O 2 ) but store glucose--in this case a form of carbon. An estimated 100*10^12 kg of carbon are transfered from the atmosphere to plant matter each year through photosynthesis. The carbon is collected in the form of carbon dioxide (aquatic plants retrieve this carbon dioxide from the water). It is important to note that carbon makes up 27% of each carbon dioxide molecule (carbon mass: 12.01 amu / total mass: 44.01 amu). Wind currents move this carbon dioxide from region to region, alloqing for new supplies to constantly feed the plant. If we were to burn these plants, the carbon dioxide emissions would be limited to what was contained in the plant matter being burned (58), assuming the burning was of organic materials only. Since animals are constantly intaking carbon, when digesting food an oxidation of the glucose/various carbon compunts occurs. This produces energy for the animals. At the same time, they exhale CO 2, releasing more carbon into the air to rejoin the carbon cycle. This is why it is important to note that even a decrease in animal life would effect plant matter worldwide, for there would not be as much carbon dioxide being emmited into the air for plants to convert into glucose-- with increasing carbon emmissions in the atmosphere, however, one can assume as the greenhouse effect grows, the coralation between plant and animal life becomes less prominant. Plants, however, do not only absorb carbon from the atmosphere. Each year, through respiration, it is estimated that plants give of 60*10^12 kg each year while using the energy created through photosynthesis. A visual of how this works can be [|seen here]! Chemical Equation: C 6 H 12 O 6 +6O 2 --> 6CO 2 +6H 2 O+Energy //Decomposition:// Decomposition plays a crucial role in the carbon cycle. It is through this process that carbon makes its way back into our atmostphere. If a mouse were to eat a plant, they would be absorbing carbon from photosynthesis. Then if the mouse were to be eaten by a coyote, they would also be consuming the carbon from the plant taken in by the mouse. Overtime, the coyote will die, and decompose back in to the soil. Through this the carbon that once existed in the plant will be released back into the soil or the atmosphere. This process is often refered to as //Detrius Transfer// and it is assumed that 700x10^12kg of carbon decompose though this, collecting in fossil fuel reserves. //(//"Tutorial") Interestingly enough, certain rocks such as limestone and marble emit small amounts of carbon dioxide with weathering, however, this amount is so miniscule that it has very little effect (Gruenberg, 57). Animals such as coral produce lime-stone, if the limestone becomes located on a subduction zone and melts or is [|metamorphosed], than carbon will move back into the ocean as well (Windows to the Universe). //Aquatic Respiration:// Phytoplankton and other marine plants take in carbon dioxide form the atmosphere through photosythesis. Once these plants and animals die, the carbon from their bodies descends to the bottom of the ocean. If it were to sink to the ocean bottom, global warming would possibly be reduced. By using the isotope thorium-234, scientists have been able to collect data from the North Altantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and the Arctic Ocean about the differences of the sinking carbon for different areas and for different times. Using these tests, scientists have been able to draw some conclusions about the effect of photosythesis and the sinking carbon has on our eco-system and global warming. The equation for respiration is: 6O2 + C6H12O66CO2 + 6H2O + ATP energy. The CO2 released is what is collecting in the atmostphere, contributing to the Green House effect, and slowly changing our climate. There is a detailed process in what occurs during the aquatic respiration part of the Carbon Cycle. It starts off where Carbon is trapped in rocks and particles on the bottom of the ocean. As the rocks weather through the natural geological process, the particles will be brought to the top of the water. There is alot of carbon that is held in carbonate or biocarbonate ions in water. These ions help balance out the acidity of the water, and when the sun heats up the water, the carbon from the particles or from the water go back into the air as carbon dioxide. //Fossil Fuels & Combustion: The Atmosphere:// As carbon dioxide (CO2) is added to the atmosphere by man-made fossil fuels and combustion, too much of it is staying in our atmosphere, causing an increase of tempertures, therefore increasing global warming. There is an estimated amount of 700*10^12 kg of Carbon in the atmosphere, but this number is steadily rising("Tutorial"). Fossil fuel deposits are said to store 10,000*10^12 kg of carbon, waiting to be harvested and burned) There are several ways in which carbon makes its way into the atmosphere, whether its through the waste material thats comes from the smoke stacks from factories, or the phototsynthesis of plants. 65% of all of the caron dioxide that is in the atmosphere comes from the burning of fossils fuels used for industries and transportation. Usually, Carbon is released into the atmosphere through decompostion. However, not all of the organic matter in the earth becomes decomposed immediatly. Sometimes organic matter accumulates in the earth rather then decomposing. When this happens, these remains stay underground in a form called a deposit. When these deposits sit for a long long time, the atoms in the dead plant and animal waste begin to compress. The bonds in the atoms of the deposits break down, and layers of sediment are formed. When these layers compress, fossil fuels are formed using the carbon from the dead plants and animals. The carbon in these fossil fuels are then released into the air through human combustion processes like the burning of the fossil fuels. As the combustion/burning of these fossil fuels have provided humans with energy for a long time, the use of fossil fuels are slowly depleating. As our population of the earth grows, so does the need for energy and fossil fuels. As we burn fossil fuels constantly now, humans are burning more then we have! Fossil fuels are non-renewable sources now because of how little we have left. 

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**Human Impact Growing Presence of Carbon in the Atmosphere:** Human have had a huge impact on the inncrease of the carbon cycle over the years. In fact, scientific studies show that human activity has the biggest impact on climate change/global warming. The increase of carbon in the atmosphere first began with the introduction to the industrial revolution. As shown by the diagram below, the increase of carbon in the atmosphere has increased with human devolopment as well. The measurement of carbon dioxide in the atmopshere has risen 20% over the past two centuries due to human activities. With the increase of measurements of carbon dioxide, comes the increase of climate change and global warming. Some examples of human activities include burning of fossil fuels which include natural gas, oil, and coal (described above). [|Click here!] When these fossil fuel burns, it returns carbon to the atmopshere that has been underground for many millions of years. Also the burning and clearing of forests all over the world increases the amount of carbon released into the atmopshere; not only do we need the trees for habitat-- but also to soak up some of our carbon! Carbon dioxide is also one of the main ingredients in the portion of the atmosphere that is causing the earth to retain heat. It builds up an invisible wall of gas and matter that is semi-permeabe. It will allow for heat and energy to come through it, but when heat tries to escape, it bounces back off the wall and returns the heat. This process is known as the green-house effect and is a major contributer to global warming. media type="youtube" key="LFNKfWyGxHw" height="344" width="425" This graph is an example of how humans have inpacted the carbon cycle and climate change in a specific area of the world (Hawaii). It shows an severe increase of carbon in parts per million over a span of 49 years.   

**So What Can You Do To Reduce the Amount of Carbon You Release Into the Atmosphere?**

// Why Reduce Your Carbon Output (a.k.a. Footprint)?:// Global warming is heard everywhere now, the term comes from, "the name given by scientists for the gradual increase in temperature of Earth's surface that has worsened since the industrial revolution," ([|carbonfootprint.com]). The rising temperatures will quickly affect the costal areas of the world seeing as when the temperature increases, icebergs melt quicker raising the sea levels across the globe. This will reduce arable land and produce a chain of events, all devistating. Also, since much of this new water will be fresh from the icebergs, it will disrupt the natural balance of NaCl (salt) in the oceans as well as **the carbon cycle.** Of course, none of this will happen over night and it is possible to decrease, if not stop or reverse the damages we have already done. As mentioned above, most climate change comes from human activity, so we must take responsiblity to stop what harm we are causing to the environment.

As we hear more and more about the issues surrounding global warming and what we face in the future if we do not change our habits quickly, it is tempting to pressure the global community to take action, //immediately.// Is it really worth it? Is solving this problem cost effective, or will it just drain us financially? The R07-10 Group wikispace has looked into this issue. The group agrees that climate change is occuring, and that fossil fuels, mainly Carbon Dioxide, are to blame. Using "clean energy" and purchasing fuel-efficient vehicles are ways of solving this problem, and reducing the high amounts of carbon in the air. However, maybe we must find a median, and not let the "carbon free" attitude consume us. The group mentions the DICE Model, which takes both the climate and economy of tomorrow into account, in search for a middle ground for environmentalism. Methods of reduction like Cap & Trade are investigating, ensuring that companies willing to reduce their carbon (and other pollution) emissions will benefit economically. The site ends by recognizing ways to reduce ones carbon footprint without spending money, maybe, this is the way to do it. Carbon emissions are playing a humongous role in Climate Change; is this part of the cycle or out of control? Check out their full argument.
 * The Cost of Carbon Free-**

//What is my Footprint:// See how much responsiblity you must take for increasing the carbon in the atmosphere, check out websites like these:
 * http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx (extensive)
 * http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.html (fairly simple- see how many Earths **you** take up)

<span style="font-size: 290%; color: #0001ff; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"> //How Do I Improve My Carbon Footprint:// Improving carbon footprints can be as extensive as purchasing a new vehicle, or as simple as travelling less. There are so many things one can do to offset their carbon footprint. It is extremely simple to switch one's energy over to [|clean energy]. Clean energy comes from an alternative source like wind power. This does not release carbon into the air and is not burned lowering your emissions. Start shopping locally, get food from around where you live, this way it will not have travelled hundreds of miles in a big, gas-guzzling truck to reach you. **Reduce** (stop buying, skipping a coffee a day can save hundreds of pounds of paper in life time), **reuse** (switch to a washable water bottle, stop using plastic), and **recycle** (it takes two spare seconds to throw your paper in a recycling bin). These are just a few of the things you can do to reduce your footprint: to see more [|click here]. //How Does This Relate?:// Scientists say that levels of CO 2 in the atmosphere have risen from 280 parts per million in 1850 to about 385 parts per million in 2007-- most of this due to humans ([|Cornelia Dean]). Your carbon footprint is just how much carbon (usually in the form of carbon dioxide-- a greenhouse gas) you release into the atmosphere. CO 2 builds up in the atmosphere. Since the cycle does not move all CO 2 as quickly as we are using it (i.e. through the burning of fossil fuels) an excess is bulding up in the atmosphere; rather than staying underground with the decomposing material. If we can release the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere-- we can help slowly reduce the greenhouse affect and cool off our planet.

The Carbon Cycle relates directly to many other ideas of chemistry! According to The Chemistry of the Greenhouse Effect II, the increase of too much carbon dioxide from the carbon cycle, has a direct impact on the greenhouse affect. Carbon dioxide in the atmoshphere contributes to 55% of the change in the earths atmospheric temperature and intensity of the actual Greenhouse effect. The Greenhouse effect is described as a process where the atmosphere of the earth traps the heat and energy given off by earth, causing the temperature to heat up greatly. The Carbon Cycle plays a large part in the increase of the Greenhouse effect for many reasons. Not only is Carbon the leading component of the actual greenhouse gasses, but with the increase of fossil fuels and combustion, it will only cause more carbon dioixde to be released into the atmosphere. As the caron cycle occurs in our atmosphere, it is the number one contributor to the increase of the greenhouse effect. With a concentration of 360 ppm in the atmosphere, that makes for alot of carbon!

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 * <span style="font-size: 120%; color: #0028ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">News from All Around The Cycle & Protecting It (RSS Feed) **

<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #0309a0; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Sources:* http://guestofaguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/carbon.jpg** http://www.tennoji-h.oku.ed.jp/tennoji/oka/2004/carbon%20dioxide.gif http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Carbon-dioxide-crystal-3D-vdW.png/619px-Carbon-dioxide-crystal-3D-vdW.png
 * "Carbon Cycle." __Elmhurst College: Elmhurst, Illinois__. 14 Jan. 2009 http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/306carbon.html.
 * "The Carbon Cycle." __RCN | Digital Cable TV, High-Speed Internet Service & Phone in Boston, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and the Lehigh Valley.__ 14 Jan. 2009 http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/CarbonCycle.html.
 * "Scientists Investigate Ocean's Role In Carbon Cycle, Global Warming." __Earth News, Earth Science, Energy Technology, Environment News__. 14 Jan. 2009
 * <http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Scientists_Investigate_Oceans_Role_In_Carbon_Cycle__Global_Warming.html>.Wilbraham, Antony C., Dennis D. Staley, and Michael S. Matta.__ Addison-Wesley Chemistry__. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall (School Division), 2002.__
 * "Ways to Decrease Your Carbon Footprint: How To Reduce CO2 Emissions and Stop Global Warming." How To Prevent Global Warming Online__. 20 Jan. 2009 http://www.acoolerclimate.com/Articles/Save168andDecrease2700Pounds.html.__
 * "CO2 Levels Continue to Increase." Chemistry In the Atmosphere Discussion__. 20 Jan. 2009 <http://discusschematmosphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/co2-levels-continue-to-increase.html>. *See sources at the end of powerpoint as well__
 * R07-10 Group__. E. O. Smith Advanced Physics. 2 Apr. 2009 http://climate-jigsaw.wikispaces.com/R07-10+Group.__
 * "The Carbon Cycle." __Windows to the Universe__. 02 Apr. 2009 [].
 * **Print Source:** Gruenberg, Benjamin C. Elementary Biology: An Introduction to the Science of Life__. Boston: Ginn and Co., 1919. Google Books. 5 Apr. 2009 [].__
 * "Carbon Cycle Tutorial." W.W. Norton & Company__. 05 Apr. 2009 [].
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