Anthropogenic Sources of Carbon

Humans are releasing carbon from rock by digging up fossil fuels from the Earth and burning them. This is known as an anthropogenic source of carbon, meaning generated by humans. A very obvious instance of this is the oil we use to fuel our cars. We also use fossil fuels to power electricity—the lights in our homes, workplaces and retail outlets; our computers; our appliances. Most electricity from power plants is created by burning fossil fuels.

Here in the Puget Sound area, most of the power from power plants is generated using hydropower—basically, we convert the energy of moving water to electricity. We still use a great deal of fossil fuels, however, because the factories that produce our consumer goods—everything from clothes to computers—are often manufactured elsewhere in areas that use fossil fuels for electricity. Furthermore, the vehicles used to transport these goods—trucks, cars, trains, planes and ships—all use carbon.

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Activity #1: Carbon Flux Background Information: Carbon Sinks | The Fast Carbon Cycle | The Slow Carbon Cycle | Anthropogenic Sources of Carbon | Units of Measuring Carbon

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