Dr. Tajuddeen A. Williams

The Carbon Cycle and the Science of Global Warming

· Personal Essays

Part 1: The Carbon Cycle

The flow of carbon through Earth’s ecosystem is called the carbon cycle. This process is inclusive of air and the bodies of plants and animals. Photosynthesis and respiration as similar in many ways. One of the things that come to mind is that they both involve the exchanges of carbon dioxide and oxygen gases. Both photosynthesis and respiration take place in organelle. They also both transform energy, by either storing it or releasing it.

Just as photosynthesis and respiration are similar, they also share their differences. Photosynthesis is driven by solar energy whereas respiration is driven by chemical energy. Photosynthesis turns water and carbon dioxide into simple carbohydrates and oxygen gas via chloroplast. Respiration turns carbohydrates back into carbon dioxide and water via mitochondria. Although both plant cells and animal cells contain mitochondria, only plant cells contain chloroplast and can perform photosynthesis. However, both of them can perform respiration.

Despite their differences, these two processes are dependent on each other. Through photosynthesis, oxygen is produced. It is used by mitochondria to break down glucose of into energy. Through respiration, carbon dioxide converts solar radiation into glucose. By doing this, it links these two processes.

Part 2: Scientific Facts About Global Warming

There is a scientific consensus on the basic facts of global warming. Scientists have stated that global warming is occurring. The Earth has been warming for the past 100 years and people are the cause of it (Environmental Defense Fund, n.d.). Since the Industrial Revolution, man has continued to find news ways to manufacture goods. The Industrial Revolution “was a period in which fundamental changes occurred in agriculture, textile and metal manufacture, transportation, economic policies and the social structure in England” (Montagna, 1981).

According to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the average temperature of the Earth have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880 (NASA, 2013). Although we feel the effects of the rising temperatures year after year, the artic caps are feeling it the most. Due to the Earth warming, glaciers are melting at an alarming rate (NASA, 2012). If the glaciers melt, we can expect widespread coastal flooding.

We can see the effects of global warming every day. As the temperature rises, we notice that plants and animals are moving towards the poles and to higher altitudes where the temperature is cooler (U.S. Global Change Research Program, n.d.). In addition, due to the effect of global warming, the polar bear population is dwindling in numbers. The U.S. Geological Survey has warned that we could lose up to two-thirds of the polar bear population (U.S. Geological Survey, 2007).

Scientists use a variety of tools and techniques to measure the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Within the United States, there are several organizations, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, that monitor the current carbon dioxide levels. NASA employs satellites to monitor them from afar (Amos, 2008). NOAA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography use monitors such as the one in Hawaii, which is the oldest carbon dioxide measurement station in the world (Greenway, 2013).

The effects of global warming affect many more things. This is only the tip of the iceberg. As we go from decade to decade, humans have to change their habits in order to prevent further damage. We destroy more of the Earth by our carelessness more than any other species on the planet. Even though we are able to visually see the results, it has not been enough to be a catalyst for global change.

Part 3: How the Carbon Cycle Relates to Global Warming

As carbon moves around via the carbon cycle between the atmosphere, animals, soil, and the oceans, this has allowed the planet to stay at a comfortable temperature for thousands of years. However, due to the Industrial Revolution, man has been burning fossil fuels that release carbon into the air that has been our of circulation for millions of years. About half of the emissions are being absorbed by the ocean and by land ecosystems (Cox, Betts, Jones, Spall, & Totterdell, 2000). This extra carbon dioxide contributes to the greenhouse effect, which causes global warming. As the Earth warms due to the greenhouse effect, plants and animals will have to adapt, move, or end up dying off. The smallest change in the ecosystem has long lasting effects on the world. We can see the effects of global warming in the melting of glaciers and the increasing temperatures in the world.

References

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