The Human Enhanced Greenhouse Effect Flashcards
1
Q
How are humans enhancing the natural carbon cycle?
A
Humans have been digging up coal (compressed carbon) from the ground to use as cheap energy. As we burn it, we release the trapped carbon back into the atmosphere, faster than oceans and plants can absorb it.
2
Q
Explain the natural carbon cycle.
A
The ocean and plants take in lots of carbon from the atmosphere. When plants die or animals excrete, carbon enters the soil or the atmosphere. When animals eat the plants and die, most goes into the atmosphere, or compresses over millions of years into coal where it is stored.
