Web-quest Exploration Guide

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1 STUDENT Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Web-quest Exploration Guide (1 of 6 NAME date period Carbon sinks, sources, and sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change: what does this all mean, and how in the world are you part of the carbon cycle? This Web-quest Exploration Guide will direct you to numerous online resources related to the carbon cycle. Follow the instructions and complete the worksheet to turn in to your teacher. I. The Global Carbon Cycle Go to the Pearson/Prentice Hall Biological Science Web site: biosci_1/0,6452, ,00.html You may need to download a plug-in to view the video. Follow instructions to download the plug-in, and continue with the following steps. Click on Natural Production. Put your headphones on or mute the sound. Maximize the page and watch the video depiction of the carbon cycle. Describe two processes of the carbon cycle: 4 Close the video window. 4 Click on Human Activities on the original Web page. 4 Watch the video and answer the following questions: 1. What are two most significant ways that humans increase the amount of carbon in the atmosphere? 2. Since 1950 what has happened to atmospheric CO 2 concentrations recorded at a laboratory at Mona Loa? 32 Should We Use Wood for Energy? Section 1 Activity 2: Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Web-quest

2 Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Web-quest Exploration Guide (2 of 6 STUDENT II. The Greenhouse Effect Go to the National Geographic Video Web site: environment/global-warming/gw-overview-interactive.html Go through the animated depiction of the greenhouse effect (start and continue through each section by clicking on the green buttons. 1. What happens when the sun s radiation reaches Earth s atmosphere? 2. How does Earth stay warm enough to sustain life? 3. How do human activities intensify the warming effect? 4. Fill in the following chart about the major greenhouse gases (GHG (Hint: click on the GHG inside the pie chart to retrieve more information on each GHG. GHG Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 Nitrous Oxide (N 2 O % Contribution to increase in GHG emissions since 1700 Source(s Methane (CH 4 Other Should We Use Wood for Energy? Section 1 Activity 2: Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Web-quest 33

3 STUDENT Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Web-quest Exploration Guide (3 of 6 III. Greenhouse Gas Maps Go to the Purdue University Newsroom Web site: Type Vulcan in the Search Purdue News box. Click on Revolutionary CO 2 maps zoom in on greenhouse gas sources in the search results. 1. What do the Vulcan maps depict? 2. What percentage of global CO 2 emissions does the U.S. account for? Click on Download image under the map of Where CO 2 is being emitted (near the top of the article. 1. based on this image, what regions of the United States emit the greatest amounts of CO 2? 2. Why do you think these areas emit such large amounts of CO 2? IV. International CO 2 Emissions Go to the International Energy Agency Dynamic Maps Web site: Click on Go to the Map under Map Energy Indicators. Click on Map Energy Indicators in the upper left corner and select CO 2 Emissions. Click on North America, click on the United States, and record CO 2 Click on Asia (including China, select China, and record CO 2 Click on OECD Europe, select a country of your choice, and record CO 2 Click on Africa, select Zimbabwe, and record CO 2 Country CO 2 emissions (Mt 1 of CO 2 U.S. China European Country: Zimbabwe 1 Mt = Million tonnes (1 million tonnes = 2.05 billion pounds 34 Should We Use Wood for Energy? Section 1 Activity 2: Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Web-quest

4 Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Web-quest Exploration Guide (4 of 6 STUDENT 1. How do CO 2 emissions of the U.S. and China compare with the European country and Zimbabwe? 2. What might be some similarities and differences that could account for the differences in CO 2 emissions of these four countries? V. What are the utility emissions in my area? Go to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean Energy Web site: cleanenergy/energy-and-you/how-clean.html 4 Enter your five-digit zip code in the box. 4 Select the utility company that provides your electricity. 4 Review Graph 1: What is my fuel mix? Fill in the following chart: GHG Nitrogen Oxide Sulfur Dioxide Carbon Dioxide Your region s utility emissions rate (lbs/mwh National average emissions rate (lbs/mwh Methane (CH 4 VI. Fuel Economy Go to the U.S. Department of Energy Fuel Economy Web site: List four reasons why fuel economy is important: Click on Find and Compare Cars at the top of the page. Select the Model Year of your personal car or your family car. Select the Make of your personal car or your family car. Select the Model of your personal car or your family car. Find the model from the list that matches the engine components in your personal car or family s car (for example 4, 6, or 8 cylinder engine, automatic or manual transmission, etc.. Should We Use Wood for Energy? Section 1 Activity 2: Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Web-quest 35

5 STUDENT Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Web-quest Exploration Guide (5 of 6 Click Compare and fill in the table below with the information provided about your personal car or your family s car. Year Make Model City MPG Hwy MPG Annual fuel cost ($ Annual petroleum consumption (barrels/year Carbon footprint (tons CO 2 emitted/year VII. Global Warming Effects Go to Ben and Jerry s Lick Global Warming Web site at: Click on two of the icons to choose a category and then click on a dot on the map to learn more about a specific effect of global warming. Record the information below: Category 1: Location: Effect: Category 2: Location: Effect: VIII. What Can I do? Go to the Union of Concerned Scientists Web site: Read What You Can Do about Global Warming. Record five things that you or your family can do: Should We Use Wood for Energy? Section 1 Activity 2: Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Web-quest

6 Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Web-quest Exploration Guide (6 of 6 STUDENT Discussion Questions 1 What agencies or organizations sponsored the Web sites you collected information from and what might their bias be? 2 Is the information presented on the Web sites balanced? 3 What are some of the reasons there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now than ever before? 4 Why do you think the U.S. emits large amounts of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases? 5 What can individuals and families do to reduce carbon emissions? Conclusion Carbon cycles continuously through all plants, animals, soils, oceans, and the atmosphere. Carbon is the building block of life and is a major part of the makeup and function of all living organisms. Humans get carbon from food. Plants absorb carbon from the atmosphere during photosynthesis, and plants and animals store carbon as they grow and release carbon as they decompose. Some human actions, particularly burning fossil fuels to generate energy, cause carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere. Not all of these emissions can be absorbed into the carbon cycle by living organisms. Now that you ve learned about the carbon cycle and greenhouse emissions, review the following questions and be prepared to discuss your answers and thoughts with the rest of the class. 6 What can industries, communities, and federal governments do to reduce carbon emissions? Should We Use Wood for Energy? Section 1 Activity 2: Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Web-quest 37

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