Carbon in the Taiao: Carbon Cycle and Global Warming Assessment

You are going to carry out research and produce a report to show your understanding of the carbon cycle and
global warming.

Task 1: Find a diagram of the carbon cycle showing the different stores of Carbon and the processes that cause
Carbon atoms to move from one source to another. Explain how the processes of Photosynthesis, Respiration,
Burning of Fossil fuels, and Diffusion of gases between the Ocean and Atmosphere cause carbon to move from
one store to another. You should discuss:
● The main forms of Carbon in each store
● A description of the process
● Any chemical word equations to show the process occuring

Research scaffold:

Diagram of Carbon cycle

Process Description of process Forms of Carbon Word equations
involved

Photosynthesis A chemical reaction by Through the process of Carbon dioxide + water

which plants use sunlight, photosynthesis, cells use through sunlight and
water, and carbon dioxide carbon dioxide and chlorophyll glucose +
in the presence of energy from the sun to oxygen
chlorophyll to make sugar make sugar molecules
and oxygen and oxygen. These sugar
molecules are the basis
for more complex
molecules made by the
photosynthetic cell, such
as glucose.

Respiration The word respiration is During cellular Glucose + oxygen

commonly used to respiration, glucose and through water + carbon
describe the process of oxygen are changed into dioxide + energy
breathing in oxygen and energy and carbon
breathing out carbon dioxide. Therefore,
dioxide. carbon dioxide is
released into the
atmosphere during the
process of cellular
respiration.

Burning fossil fuels Fossil fuels are made Carbon dioxide is Fuel + oxidizer through
from the remains of dead released into the product
plants and animals. We atmosphere by human
use them to get energy movement
and produce electricity
that powers our lives. The
main fossil fuels are oil,
coal and natural gases.
When fossil fuels are
burned carbon and
hydrogen react with
 oxygen in air to carbon
dioxide (CO2) and water
(H2O)

Diffusion of gases Diffusion is the process CO2 moves from the

between the Ocean and where gaseous atoms atmosphere (lots of it
Atmosphere How Much and molecules are there - high
Carbon Dioxide Goes transferred from regions concentration) to the
From the Air Into the of relatively high ocean (not as much - low
Oceans? concentration to regions concentration) and is
of relatively low absorbed by the water
concentration and also used by the
phytoplankton
Task 2: How does increased Carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil fuels, as well as other sources of
greenhouse gases, cause an enhanced greenhouse effect? You should discuss:
● What the greenhouse effect is (in terms of energy transfer)
● What a greenhouse gas is
● How it is enhanced by human activities
Research scaffold:

Greenhouse effect As CO2 soaks up this infrared energy, it vibrates and re-emits the infrared energy
back in all directions. About half of that energy goes out into space, and about half
of it returns to Earth as heat, contributing to the 'greenhouse effect.

Greenhouse gases Greenhouse gases are gases in the earth's atmosphere that trap heat. During the
day, the sun shines through the atmosphere, warming the earth's surface. At night
the earth's surface cools, releasing heat back into the air. But some of the heat is
trapped by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Human activities Burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests and destroying our land and farming
affecting the cows. This adds enormous amounts of greenhouse gases to those naturally
greenhouse effect occurring in the atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect and global warming.

Task 3: Discuss 2 issues caused by an enhanced greenhouse effect (eg. Sea level rise, Ocean acidification,
Climate Change). You should:
● Describe the implications
● Explain how the implications are caused
 ● For one implication, suggest a solution and evaluate its effectiveness

Research scaffold:
Issues (choose 2) Describe the Implications Explain how the issue occurs
and link this to the implications

Sea level rise When sea levels rise as rapidly as Consequences include increased
they have been, even a small intensity of storm surges, flooding,
increase can have devastating and damage to coastal areas.
effects on coastal habitats farther
inland, it can cause destructive
erosion, wetland flooding, aquifer
and agricultural soil contamination
with salt, and lost habitat for fish,
birds, and plants.

Ocean acidification Can affect seafood supplies and Ocean acidification can create
the ocean's ability to store conditions that eat away at the
pollutants, including future carbon minerals used by oysters, clams,
emissions. lobsters, shrimp, coral reefs, and
other marine life to build their shells
and skeletons.

Climate change Climate change has an impact on Burning fossil fuels, cutting down
all different regions of the world. forests and destroying our land and
The main effect though is the polar farming cows. This contributed to
ice shields are melting and causing the earth's rising temperature.
the sea level to rise slowly more
and more over time. There are all
the effects of heavy rainfall,
droughts and intense heat waves.

To stop this world wide problem

there are some easy steps to
resolve in living this fear of climate
change.
 Cycle, walk or take public
transport
Eat more fruits and
vegetables
Reuse, Reduce, Recycle
and Repair
Switch to renewable energy
sources
Change your car eg. hybrid,
electric car
European Climate Summit (ECS) 2023: 28-30 March in Lisbon, Portugal | International Carbon Action
Partnership

Possible solution

Solution Reasons this is a good idea Reasons why it is not such a

because of how it affects the good idea (the carbon cycle)
carbon cycle

- Cycle, walk or take public - Cycle, walk or take public - Cycle, walk or take public
transport transport - It creates less transport - More exercise
- Eat more fruits and noise, less air pollution, and and more distance
vegetables results in fewer emissions
- Reuse, Reduce, Recycle that are warming the - Eat more fruits and
and Repair atmosphere vegetables - reduce an
- Switch to renewable energy individual's annual carbon
sources - Eat more fruits and footprint by up to 2.1 tons
- Change your car eg. hybrid, vegetables - It stops us with a vegan diet or up to
electric car from eating more meat 1.5 tons for vegetarians.

- Reuse, Reduce, Recycle - Reuse, Reduce, Recycle

and Repair - Saves energy. and Repair - Recycling can
Reduces greenhouse gas cause more environmental
emissions that contribute to damage
global climate change.
- Switch to renewable energy
- Switch to renewable energy sources - Using more
sources - We are using plastic and man made
more eco friendly source products that will soon no
and this is natural sunlight longer be able to use and
will be thrown out to landfill
- Change your car eg. hybrid,
electric car - Doesn't use as - Change your car eg. hybrid,
much fossil fuels electric car - It also uses
fossil fuels from the
electricity