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Hey, Mina, have you ever thought about how carbon moves around the Earth? |
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Not really, Jason. I mean, isn't carbon just in the air? |
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I recently watched a video online, and it goes beyond that. There's this concept called the carbon cycle that describes how carbon moves between the atmosphere, living creatures, the ocean, and so on. |
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Carbon cycle? I have no idea about it. What is it? |
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Well, the carbon cycle is like the Earth's way of managing carbon. |
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Interesting. How does it work, though? |
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You know how plants take in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis to make sugars? That's part of it. They use that carbon to fuel their metabolism. |
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Oh, now I get it. You mean, animal eat plants, and they get the energy they need from those plants, and so on, right? |
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That's correct. But here's the interesting part : when plants and animals die and decompose, they release carbon back into the atmosphere. |
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So, basically, it's like a cycle. But why does it matter for us? |
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The carbon cycle plays a significant role in controlling Earth's temperature and climate. By managing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it helps regulate the goal temperature. |
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Are we talking about the greenhouse effect? I thought it was bad for our environment, causing global temperature. |
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Actually, the greenhouse effect, which keeps the Earth warm enough for life, is part of a natural process. But when we release too much carbon into the atmosphere, like using fossil fuels, it starts causing problems. |
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I got it. So you are talking that we need to cut down the amount of carbon released in the air, right? |
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Absolutely! Perhaps scientists could come up with some cool technology to reduce our carbon footprint, just like they've invented new solutions for other problems. |
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