Human impacts on the carbon cycle


- review the relationship between ppm of CO2 and Gt C in the atmosphere

- estimate the rate of addition of carbon to the atmosphere due to fossil fuel
    consumption

- break down consumption by country and by type of activity

- estimate the rate of buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere, and how long it will take
    for the concentration to double at this rate

- note that the oceans are currently acting as a carbon sink

- discuss the processes that limit the uptake of carbon by the oceans

- discuss deforestation as an additional carbon source and reforestation as a
    means of sequestering carbon (temporarily)

- summarize fossil fuel reserves

- estimate upper limit of atmospheric CO2 rise that could occur as a result of the
    burning of fossil fuels

- clarify the distinction between the rate of buildup of CO2 (determined by rate
    of fossil fuel consumption) and the CO2 level (determined by cumulative past
    consumption)-- the text has diagrams for various IPCC scenarios