Fuels and the Carbon Cycle

Preassessment Look at the following statements. Decide if they can be true or not, and explain why. You have breathed some of the same oxygen as Aristotle. You have breathed some of the same oxygen as Aristotle. What comes out of your faucet could be whale urine. What comes out of your faucet could be whale urine. Cars run on squished dinosaurs. Cars run on squished dinosaurs.

Carbon Dioxide into Biomass

Example

Example Looking at the water cycle, explain how water goes from the ocean to your faucet. Make sure you identify the processes and the places where water is stored (sinks)

Example This is the diagram you’d write on your paper. Ocean AtmosphereRiver Faucet Evaporation Condensation (Rain) Water Treatment

Carbon into Biomass Photosynthesis On your paper, in the section labeled “Fossil Fuel Carbon Pathway”, diagram first how carbon goes from the atmosphere into the plants. Leave a lot of room on your paper, your going to add a lot more.

Carbon into Biomass Carbon Dioxide Biomass Photosynthesis Question 1: How is Energy also being trapped in this process?

Plant Biomass into Oil We are going to be talking about gasoline specifically.

Formation of Oil Formation of Oil Formation of Oil After viewing the animation, add to your “Fossil Fuel Carbon Pathway” diagram. Explain how the biomass you wrote previously will be turned into oil.

Formation of Oil Biomass Oil millions of years… covered by sediments… lots of heat and pressure…

Combustion of Fossil Fuels

Refining Oil Oil Refinery Oil Refinery On your paper, outline the steps going from oil to gasoline.

Combustion On your paper, diagram the steps going from the gasoline to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Combustion Question 2: Is the carbon dioxide that is being released by burning fossil fuels replacing carbon dioxide recently removed from the atmosphere by plants? Explain your answer. Oil Gasoline Carbon Dioxide is refined to make… is burned (combusted) to make…

What does this graph show? What is the best explanation for this graph?

Carbon and the Climate

Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Effect Anthropogenic Carbon Anthropogenic Carbon Question 3: What are the effects of humans adding carbon to the atmosphere? Question 4: What are some ways to remove carbon form the atmosphere?

Sequestration Sequestration is a term that means to store something away for a period of time. When we talk about “Carbon Sequestration” we are talking about removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. On your diagram, what is the way that carbon was naturally sequestered? Now that there is already too much carbon in the atmosphere, how can we sequester it?

Carbon Capture and Sequestration Carbon Capture and Sequestration Carbon Capture and Sequestration How is CCS technology like the sequestration you have already identified? How is it different? How is CCS technology a solution to global warming?

Biofuels

Carbon into Biomass On your paper, in the section labeled “Biofuels Carbon Pathway”, diagram first how carbon goes from the atmosphere into the plants. This is very similar to a step you have already done.

Biofuels and the Carbon Cycle Biomass Ethanol Production Biomass Ethanol Production On your “Biofuels Carbon Pathway” explain how the biomass is turned into fuel, and what happens to the biofuels in the automobile. (Ethanol engines are very similar to gasoline engines)

Biofuels and the Carbon Cycle Your diagram should start and end with Carbon Dioxide. Should your diagram be linear (have a start and end) or circular (um, a circle)? Your first diagram also started and ended with Carbon Dioxide. Should it be linear of circular? Be able to justify your answer.

Biofuels and the Carbon Cycle Biomass Biofuels Carbon Dioxide Ethanol Production Combustion Plants Photosynthesis Harvesting

Biofuels and the Carbon Cycle Question 3: How does your diagram illustrate that biofuels don’t contribute to global warming? Question 4: Why would biofuels be called “carbon neutral”?

Image Credit Water Cycle, USGS, public domain Photosynthesis, wikipedia CO 2 graph ©2005 NASA Earth Observatory (via Annenberg)