Carbon in The Taiao Report
Carbon in The Taiao Report
Carbon in The Taiao Report
The carbon cycle is a natural process where carbon is used and released in a continuous circle every day on
Earth. There is a level of carbon that is good for us to have on Earth so that all the living processes can be
carried out. However, this balance is very fragile and can be affected very easily. For thousands of years,
before the Industrial Revolution in 1750 - 1850 changed everything, when we used cleaner and more
hand-driven natural energy sources, the CO2 levels in the atmosphere were quite stable at around 280 parts
per million (ppm) for thousands of years. Our climate and ecosystems got very used to evolving and living
sustainably with this baseline level, and the diverse range of life on the planet was very successful and
balanced. But since 2022, the CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere have exceeded 400 ppm, and that is
something that has not happened for millions of years.
This is because there are processes that are involved in the carbon cycle and these processes are being
affected by what human beings are doing to our planet. While there isn't a specific threshold for a "good" level
of atmospheric CO2, Most scientists agree that we should try to stabilise CO2 concentrations at a level of
around 280-300 ppm, which is close to what it was before the Industrial Revolution. However, achieving this
goal requires significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and concerted efforts to transition to
renewable energy sources and sustainable land use practices.
Processes:
Photosynthesis - this is where plants use carbon to carry out their metabolic processes through taking in
carbon dioxide (CO2) with sunlight and water to make sugar and oxygen. Unfortunately, in some countries
like those on the South American continent where the Amazon Rainforest is, people are cutting down too
many trees, causing deforestation, which is affecting the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. If there are
not enough plants to use the CO2, then there is more CO2 in the atmosphere to join other greenhouse gases.
Respiration - this is where animals (like humans and cattle etc) take in oxygen to make glucose and give off
CO2. As time has gone on, there are now more humans and animals on the planet which is contributing more
CO2 into the atmosphere, and so more greenhouse gases.
Burning of fossil fuels - this is where the broken down plants and animals that have died and gone into the
ground have become organic carbon products like coal and gas and oil. Human beings mine these products
and use them to create a source of energy, mainly in vehicles but also in homes for cooking and heating, and
in industries that use them to carry out their production processes. As time has gone on, we have produced
more and more vehicles and larger factories that all use these carbon sources. Unfortunately, when we burn
fossil fuels, carbon and hydrogen react with oxygen in the air to release even more CO2 as a greenhouse gas.
Diffusion of gases from atmosphere into ocean - this is where CO2 from the atmosphere moves to the ocean
and is absorbed by the water and phytoplankton. More absorption happens when the ocean waves are more
active, and less when it is calm. Human beings have affected this by polluting the ocean which has an effect
on the levels of plankton and so less CO2 is absorbed.
Solutions: