Sustainability Blip of the Week: Carbon Cycle
To support our Peabody sustainability mission, our Earth Action Teams want to educate our community on the many ways you can help the environment. There will be a weekly feature in the newsletter that will educate you about a topic and give you ways you can take action!
What is the Carbon Cycle?
The carbon cycle describes the process of how carbon atoms travel continuously from the atmosphere to the earth and back. The image next to this shows how carbon moves through the cycle and enters back into the atmosphere by carbon emissions from fossil fuels, organisms dying, decayed organisms, and more.
What is your Carbon Footprint?
Your carbon footprint is how much carbon you emit due to the consumption of fossil fuels.
You can learn about your carbon footprint at the link below.
Interesting Facts:
Carbon is the fourth most common element in the entire universe
Carbon is also the second most common in the human body.
The atomic weight of carbon is 12.0107.
The current concentration of carbon dioxide gas in our atmosphere is about 420 ppm, a 50% increase from the concentration at the beginning of the industrial revolution.
Carbon is a non-metal element. It is a pattern maker. It can bond with itself and other elements as well.
Helpful Tips About How Can You Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
There are several different ways you can reduce your carbon footprint. Try to eat local and seasonal- no strawberries in the winter! You can limit your consumption of meat. Try to bike, walk, carpool, or take public transportation, though this is harder in covid. Turn the water off in between dishes and while brushing your teeth. Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Turn the temperature down one degree in the winter and up one degree in the summer.
Challenge of the Week:
Find out your carbon footprint and try to reduce it! Use the helpful tips above for inspiration!
Try to not waste anything! Reuse, Reduce, or Recycle! Just turning off the lights when you leave a room helps.
How does the Carbon Cycle affect Climate Change?
The carbon cycle contributes directly to climate change because the CO2 starts in the atmosphere or by burning fossil fuels in the atmosphere and is then absorbed by plants, animals, and the ocean. The earth’s greenhouse effect is 20% caused by carbon.
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