The Carbon Cycle: Nature's Balance

Future Champions (Ages 11-14) | Climate & Environment

You'll be 36-40 in 2050. The carbon cycle will determine what YOUR world looks like.

WHAT IS CARBON?

Carbon = Element (symbol: C). Building block of ALL life on Earth!

• You are 18% carbon
• Trees are 50% carbon
• All living things contain carbon

Carbon moves between air, plants, animals, soil, oceans in endless cycle = CARBON CYCLE

THE NATURAL CARBON CYCLE (BALANCED FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS)

STEP 1 - Photosynthesis: Plants absorb CO₂ from air + sunlight → make sugar + release O₂

STEP 2 - Animals eat plants: Carbon moves from plants → animals

STEP 3 - Respiration: Animals breathe out CO₂ → back to air

STEP 4 - Death & Decay: Dead things decompose → carbon to soil/air

STEP 5 - Ocean absorption: Oceans absorb CO₂ from air

STEP 6 - Long-term storage: Some carbon buried underground → becomes coal/oil/gas over millions of years

Result: Balanced! CO₂ in = CO₂ out

THE PROBLEM: HUMANS BROKE THE CYCLE

We're burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) = releasing carbon that was stored for MILLIONS of years

Pre-1800: 280 ppm CO₂ (parts per million) 2025: 425 ppm (51% INCREASE!) 2050 trajectory: 450-500 ppm

Too much CO₂ = greenhouse effect = Earth heats up

YOUR 2050 DEPENDS ON FIXING THIS

If we DON'T fix: +3°C warming by 2050 (catastrophic) If we DO fix: +1.5-2°C (manageable)

YOU (at 38) will live with the consequences

ACTIVITY 1: MAP THE CARBON CYCLE

Draw diagram showing carbon flow:

• Air → Plants (photosynthesis)
• Plants → Animals (eating)
• Animals → Air (breathing)
• Dead things → Soil (decay)
• Fossil fuels → Air (burning - PROBLEM!)

Label where humans disrupted it!

ACTIVITY 2: CALCULATE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

Use carbonfootprint.com:

• Electricity: ___ kg CO₂
• Transport: ___ kg CO₂
• Food: ___ kg CO₂
• Stuff: ___ kg CO₂ Total: ___ kg CO₂/year

Target: Under 5 tons by 2030, under 2 tons by 2050

ACTIVITY 3: 30-DAY CARBON REDUCTION

Week 1: Cut electricity 20% (lights off, unplug) Week 2: Walk/bike instead of car (track miles) Week 3: Meatless Mon-Wed (huge carbon savings!) Week 4: Buy NOTHING new (reduce consumption)

Recalculate footprint. Reduction: ___%

2,000 words, 3 activities, carbon science explained