Climate change: Earth's giant game of Tetris - Joss Fong
TED-Ed・2 minutes read
The Earth's carbon cycle, like "Tetris," involves blocks of carbon moving through the atmosphere, absorbed by plants and oceans, and stored in soil, contributing to the greenhouse effect. Human activities, like burning fossil fuels, have raised carbon levels in the atmosphere, intensifying global warming and threatening ecosystems and coastal areas, emphasizing the pressing need to combat climate change.
Insights
- Human activities, like burning fossil fuels and deforestation, have notably raised atmospheric carbon levels, fueling global warming and its associated impacts like rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
- Earth's carbon cycle, comparable to "Tetris," involves a complex interplay of carbon entering the atmosphere from sources like volcanoes, getting absorbed by plants and oceans, and stored in soil, showcasing the intricate balance crucial for maintaining Earth's climate stability.
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Recent questions
How does carbon enter Earth's atmosphere?
Through sources like volcanoes and decaying matter.
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Summary
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"Carbon Cycle and Climate Change Impact"
- Earth's carbon cycle, akin to the game "Tetris," involves carbon blocks entering the atmosphere from various sources like volcanoes and decaying matter, being absorbed by plants and oceans, and stored in soil. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, traps heat in the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect that maintains Earth's warmth and climate stability.
- Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, have significantly increased the amount of carbon in the atmosphere over the past 200 years, intensifying the greenhouse effect. This leads to accelerated global warming, melting polar ice caps, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and threats to ecosystems and coastal populations, highlighting the urgent need to address climate change.
