Consumption, resources, and the environment: What you need to know.

 Consumption, resources, and the environment: What you need to know.


Does the average person know about the carbon cycle? What about the biggest effects that people have on the carbon cycle? I'm here to tell you about that and the correlation between the carbon cycle and renewable resources. 


The carbon cycle moves the carbon around our atmosphere (lesson 4).  Some of this movement is positive while others have detrimental effects on our environment. As carbon moves throughout the atmosphere, it is absorbed into the ground, consumed by plants, and pushed out by animals (carbon cycle diagram). This movement is essential to life on earth and without it, the world would not be able to keep a regulated temperature. The more carbon dioxide that gets released into the atmosphere causes the temperature to rise and can ultimately lead to the causes of climate change. These climate change events are what is changing the world as we know it. However, there is a way to limit these impacts. If we turn to greater uses of biorenewable resources we might be able to help. 



How do people affect the carbon cycle? Do the way we act and what we consume have a strong effect on impact the carbon cycle? One of the biggest items that an average human produces carbon is by burning fossil fuels. (DOE Explains…The Carbon Cycle) We burn these every day by heating our homes, starting our cars, charging our phones, and so many other ways. All of these actions one way or another push carbon dioxide into the environment and a large amount of that cannot be reabsorbed. Though at this point changing anything seems nearly impossible there are options as the general public we have to change the course of the future. 


Renewable resources are the up-and-coming option to change the future and minimize the effects of climate change on humans and our world. There are many options for renewable resources that are easily accessible to the general public. Options such as wind or solar have become increasingly more popular, also plant products are biorenewable and a great source of sustainable energy (lesson 1). As a replacement for fossil fuels wind and solar energy are great ways to do tasks such as heating and cooling your home. Fossil fuel energy in these situations is replaceable and in the long run, might end up being cheaper. We can see an increase in using these resources as technology and information are becoming more advanced (U.S. Renewable Energy Fact sheet). 


The big question to us is, is this change worth it? Do we need to be so concerned about carbon emissions and climate change? In my opinion yes, we absolutely need to be concerned about the changing climate, and changing the way we do things would definitely be worth it in the long run.

The ever-increasing carbon emissions put out by human use will not slow down anytime soon unless we do something about it. Further carbon emissions will only cause climate change to increase and make our world difficult to thrive in. Thankfully there are things that you can do to help and even if taking on more renewable energy sources is too much for you there are also thousands of other ways you can take this massive problem into your own hands. 



Works Cited: 


Carbon Cycle 

https://byjus.com/biology/carbon-cycle/ 


Lesson 4: Carbon Cycle, BBE 1002, UMN


DOE Explains…The Carbon Cycle

https://www.energy.gov/science/doe-explainsthe-carbon-cycle#:~:text=Humans%20have%20a%20huge%20effect,that%20absorb%20and%20release%20heat. 


The Carbon Cycle 

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/CarbonCycle 


Lesson 1: Introduction to Resources, BBE 1002, UMN


U.S. Renewable Energy Fact sheet

https://css.umich.edu/publications/factsheets/energy/us-renewable-energy-factsheet

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