1. The Carbon Cycle
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2. Starting From The Ground Up
Plants take in carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis.
Fish and land animals (and humans) then eat these plants and consume the carbon stored in the plants.
Animals (or humans) then release this carbon when they breath and when they die their bodies break down into the soil. .

3. Over time this matter is compacted deep into the earth and then turned into fossil fuels.
These fossil fuels are then dug up and burned to fuel automobiles and used as our main source of energy.
Through this process the carbon is then released back into our atmosphere in copious amounts.

5. The Carbon Cycle Moves Through…
The Atmosphere, when released after burning fossil fuels.
The Biosphere, when taken in by plants and animals.
The Hydrosphere, when consumed through fish and plants from the sea.

6. Every animal is part of a food chain. Animals eat plants.
Bigger animals eat the smaller animals and so on.
If there was no carbon then there would be no photosynthesis and plants wouldn’t be able to make food so they would die.
The animals who ate plants wouldn’t be able to eat plants and would die.
All animals would start to die and life as would know it would be doomed.

7. Cycles In Action
Without Carbon and other greenhouse gasses the earth would be a frozen wasteland.
There is about 30% more carbon dioxide in the air today than there was about 150 years ago.
Plants absorb oxygen, sunlight and water in photosynthesis during the summer, but freeze quickly when winter arrives.

9. What’s Our Impact? Large amount of people on the planet:
-Using more and more carbon, so there’s less for the natural world.
Burning ridiculous amounts of fossil fuels and chopping down millions of trees at the same time:
-Releases carbon that’s been out of circulation for millions of years
-Not sure of consequences, but could possibly be increasing global warming
-Approx. 55% of excess carbon has been absorbed by plants and the ocean, 45% is still in the atmosphere.
It makes the planet warmer, and oceans more acidic.
Carbon regulates heat of the planet
Water vapour causes about 50% of greenhouse warming, and more evaporates as the planet heats up.

10. Human Impacts
The rain forests, which support most life on earth, are being cut down by the acre and replaced by farmer’s fields.
Humans also burn the remains of carbon-based solids in the form of oil and coal to release energy
Global temperatures rise and ice caps begin to melt.
Sea levels start to rise causing changes in the ocean currents and disrupting the fundamentals of life.

11. What are we doing to save the carbon cycle?
Attempting to eliminate deforestation. Negative effect on the Economy: The search for a solution to global warming and informing people of the issue costs the U.S. alone 4 billion dollars. Also, the cost of replanting trees after deforestation impacts the economy.

12. Carbon Credits
What are we doing to save the carbon cycle? – Carbon Credits: an allowance to emit one tonne of carbon or an equivalent mass of another greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Positive effect on the economy: Countries can buy and sell carbon credits. A country that does not need their carbon credits can make money by selling their credits to a country that needs it which will boost their economy.

13. References/ Sources
Roy, G. (n.d.). Deforesation - The Carbon Cycle. The Carbon Cycle - Home. Retrieved September 12, 2013, from
Cointrin, G. (n.d.). Carbon Market FAQs | GSF. GSF | The Gold Standard Foundation. Retrieved September 12, 2013, from
"The Carbon Cycle and How It Affects The Earth." The Carbon Cycle. BlogSpot , 20 Nov Web. 11 Sep
No author. (No Date). Earth Observatory. Retrieved from No author. (No Date). Earth Observatory. Retrieved from
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