Question

1. Which human activities contribute to increase in greenhouse gasses? Which process uses carbon dioxide? What is fossil fuel and how it is contributing to increase in carbon dioxide level?

2. Which processes regulate our carbon dioxide cycle? Which event brought a change to the natural carbon dioxide cycle of the planet?

Answer 1

1) The main human activities are: Combustion of fossil fuels which is responsible to release greenhouse gases. Clearing of forests for agriculture which is responsible to release carbon dioxide through increased biomass decay.

Photosynthesis by plants uses carbon dioxide.

Fossil fuel is a natural fuel such as coal, oil or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms. Combustion of fossil fuel releases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which is responsible to increase the carbon dioxide level.

2) The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is regulated by several processes, such as photosynthesis by plants, respiration by plants, animals and microbes and combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.

Events such as combustion of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrialization brought a change to the natural carbon dioxide cycle of the planet.