Tegan Rose Madden
IB Geography HL
23.1.12
Mr. Gillett
Greenhouse Gas: Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Carbon Dioxide is one of the four greenhouse gases next to Carbon Dioxide (CO2),
Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N20) and Fluorinated Gases. This greenhouse gas is
emitted both naturally through the carbon cycle (figure 1) and through human activities
such as burning fossil fuels, industrial production (mineral and metal production) and
deforestation (EPA).
The carbon cycle (figure 1) removes atmospheric CO2 through oceans and the
growth of plants (‘sinks’), and then emits the CO2 back into the atmosphere through
‘sources’. If balanced, the CO2 removals and emissions will be ‘roughly equal’ (EPA).
As Fossil fuels are burned to produce energy, the carbon that is stored in them is
emitted as CO2 into the atmosphere. This is mostly prominent in burning fossil fuels for
industrial uses, electricity generation, transportation and homes and commercial buildings
(EPA).
Deforestation is the ‘permanent removal of standing forests’ (EPA). The Carbon
that is sequestered in the trees is emitted into the atmosphere, leading to the emission of
CO2. If the emissions were ‘counter-balanced’ (EPA) by the ‘re-growth of new trees’
(EPA) we would be able to decrease the amount of CO2 being released into the
atmosphere. This specific cause of CO2 emissions is not as prominent in the US as it is in
other parts of world. Most of the US’s CO2 emissions come from burning or ‘slowly
through decomposition over time’ (EPA).
Figure 1: The Carbon Cycle
(http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/The-Ocean-in-Action/Sci-Media/Animationsand-Interactives/Carbon-cycle)
Tegan Rose Madden
IB Geography HL
23.1.12
Mr. Gillett
Works Cited
"Carbon Dioxide ." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA, 14 Apr. 2011. Web. 23
Jan. 2012.
<http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/co2.html>.
"Human-Related Sources and Sinks of Carbon Dioxide." U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. EPA, 14
Apr. 2011. Web. 23 Jan. 2012. <http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/
co2_human.html>.