Because I love working with kids and am an education major, I decided for my first post I wanted to address one of Dr. Roe’s previous topic suggestions: “Imagine that you are speaking to an intelligent 11-year-old.   In 400 words or less, explain the role that carbon dioxide plays in regulating the Earth’s temperature.”

CO₂ is one of the simplest molecules on Earth but ironically it is now causing some of the biggest problems for us. The gas has been naturally produced since the beginning of time by the ocean, decomposition of plants and animals, and plant and animal respiration. Humans, however, have been producing carbon dioxide since the Industrial Revolution by deforestation and by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. This happens when we drive a car or use electricity like charging out cell phones. (see Carbon cycle below).

Carbon dioxide is what they call a “greenhouse” gas because it acts like a greenhouse with the Sun and traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere that would otherwise be released into space. The right amount of CO₂ acts like a blanket to keep Earth at a habitable temperature. This works because carbon dioxide in the atmosphere absorbs infrared energy (like heat from the Sun) and re-sends it out in all directions. Some gets sent back to Earth which warms Earth’s surface. Without greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide the Earth would be frozen. With too many gases, though, the Earth is continuously getting warmer and warmer. This is because humans are creating more CO₂ than any natural processes can handle. Carbon dioxide plays a big role in regulating our Earth’s temperature which is why too much of it is contributing to global warming.

Sources:

http://scienceforkids.kidipede.com/chemistry/atoms/carbondioxide.htm

http://serc.carleton.edu/eslabs/carbon/index.html