CARBON CYCLE

Carbon Esityksen nimi / Tekijä -Carbon is a common non-metal, tetravalent element, which also has many allotropic forms. Its chemical symbol is C (lat. carbonium) and its atomic number is 6. -Carbon is an essential element for living creatures, without it life would not be as we know it. -Carbonic fuel is economically an important use of carbon, especially fossil fuels, such as the use of coal, crude oil and natural gas in energy production. Likewise refining raw materials to produce synthetic materials such as plastics.

Esityksen nimi / Tekijä Carbon cycle -The carbon cycle is a biochemical cycle and means carbon’s circulation through the atmosphere, water systems and ground. Plants and animals are also involved in the carbon cycle. -Carbon is present in everything where there is life and organic compounds. The carbon cycle is an essential natural cycle for life. Carbon atoms have a chemically interesting ability to bind to each other to form long chains and links (Catenation), and they can, in the largest different forms of chains, also combine to other elements to form almost 10 million known compounds. - Read more:

Carbon and oxygen cycle Preserving the balance of air - The more carbon dioxide there is, the quicker plants assimilate to it. Thus the balance of carbon dioxide is preserved. Carbon storage - The carbon in water becomes a part of animal shells and skeletons as carbon dioxide salts => limestone - A part of carbon is in the course of time removed from the living natural cycle in peat, sea-bed sediment, coal and oil. The fossils contained in them remain a part of the circulation for a long time Esityksen nimi / Tekijä

Esityksen nimi / Tekijä Plants assimilate = photosynthesis Carbon = C Carbon dioxide = CO 2 Oxygen= O 2 Water = H 2 O H2OH2O CO 2 Light energy Sugar O2O2 Water

Photosynthesis = carbon dioxide into oxygen Photosynthesis needs: Photosynthesis creates: Solar light energy sugar & oxygen carbon dioxide & water - Without plants there would not be any oxygen in the atmosphere! - Plants produce the energy they require (sugar) by photosynthesis. - In photosynthesis plants take carbon dioxide from the air and their roots take water from the ground and with the help of sun light produce sugar. At the same time they release oxygen. 6 CO H 2 O + solar energy --> C 6 H 12 O O 2

Cellular respiration - oxygen to carbon dioxide Esityksen nimi / Tekijä -Cellular respiration is a cellular metabolic reaction of aerobic (=requiring oxygen) life, through which cells release the energy within nutrients for their use. -Cellular respiration is a gas conversion occurring in cells, where oxygen moves into the cells and carbon dioxide moves out. The oxygen being burnt inside the cells combines with sugar molecules to produce carbon dioxide and water. At the same time energy is released which cells need in order to function. C 6 H 12 O O 2 --> 6 CO H 2 O + energy

Increase in carbon dioxide emissions changes the environment Esityksen nimi / Tekijä The climate of the earth is constantly changing. However, recently the climate has changed quicker than in over 10,000 years. The planet’s average temperature has risen, with the increase of greenhouse gasses held to be reason. Greenhouse gasses allow the sun’s rays to pass through, but do not allow all the globe’s heat radiation to pass out. The phenomenon can be compared to how glass acts in a greenhouse. This phenomenon is responsible for the global average temperature being +15°C, without this phenomenon the global average temperature would be -18°C. Thus this atmospheric greenhouse phenomenon is a prerequisite for existing life. Problems arise when humanity’s actions result in the strengthening of the green house effect which leads to changes in the make up of the atmosphere. People’s actions can influence climate change in many ways. The amount of greenhouse gases can increase by using fossil fuels for example. Man can also reduce the amount of carbon binding plants. In the last decades the effect of man on the atmosphere has probably lead to significant climate change. Probably the changes influence the life of normal people and the nature on the planet. The most significant greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is created every time something is burnt. For example, fossil fuels used in power stations create carbon dioxide emissions. Transport is also a significant cause of carbon dioxide emissions.

Esityksen nimi / Tekijä The impact of humanity - The majority of humanity’s carbon dioxide production comes from the use of fossil fuels (i.e. crude oil, coal and natural gas). Fossil fuels are a non-renewable natural resource. - A second source of emissions is the destruction of tropical rainforests and other changes in land use. - Between carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the burning of fossil fuels accounted for 7.2 gigatons (7,200,000,000 tons) in the form of carbon each year. Emissions from clearing forests are not as well known. It is estimated to have released gigatons of carbon annually.

The greenhouse effect and climate change Esityksen nimi / Tekijä edded English version source: Ilmasto-opas.fi / Producers: Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) and the Finnish Meteorological Institute The impact of humanity: GDY3dCqWQU GDY3dCqWQU English version source : Ilmasto-opas.fi / Producers: Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) and the Finnish Meteorological Institute How can you affect the greenhouse gas effect and reduce your carbon footprint?: English version source : PICS Carbon dioxide and the greenhouse effect:

Research results Esityksen nimi / Tekijä According to a recent joint research by the University of Helsinki, the Natural Resources Institute Finland and the Finnish Meteorological Institute, forests can be cut at more or less the same amount as they grow before extra harvesting has a climate warming impact. Less fossil energy is used in the production of wooden products than in plastic products for example. If this replacement effect is not taken into consideration, extra harvesting would make the climate warmer. According to the research deciduous and mixed forests are best at cooling the climate. Spruce forests bind more carbon dioxide during the cycle. (Source: Ilkka newspaper, )

Research results Esityksen nimi / Tekijä According to a recent study by the London School of Economics, China’s intense actions to reduce carbon dioxide emissions increase the possibility that the planet’s atmosphere will not be more that 2° C warmer than pre-industrial levels. The U.N. regards the 2° C increase level in climate temperature as the limit before climate change has critical consequences. China’s coal consumption already decreased last year and the same development has continued in the first quarter of this year. China’s CO 2 emissions are calculated to reach their peak in 2025 at billion tons, after which consumption will start to decline. In 2013 China’s O 2 emissions was approximately 10.3 billion tons, which is double the amount of the U.S.A. China is the world’s leading source of emissions, with the U.S.A. second. Currently China is the largest global investor in wind and solar power. One aspect behind this change is the major air pollution problems in China’s big cities. (Source: Ilkka newspaper, )