Reducing Emissions Is The Most Effective Global Management Strategy To Protect The Carbon Cycle As A Regulator Of The Earth’s Climate, How Far Do You Agree.

Intro: Somewhat agree, atmospheric carbon emission have increased by 130ppm since the industrial revolution increasing global temperatures by 0.85. This is due to anthropogenic warming causing the enhanced greenhouse effect, long wave radiation is being trapped in the lower atmosphere due to increased rates of greenhead house gasses. Carbon dioxide is the most threatening gas because of its radiative longevity and how long it stays in the atmosphere for, 60% of carbon emissions come from fossil fuel burning, e.g., coal, natural gas. To protect the carbon cycle and restore dynamic equilibrium (inputs=outputs) the burning of fossil fuels releasing co2 needs to be reduced, reducing emissions is one way to combat climate change however emissions can be offset or stored instead.

One way to continue emitting carbon dioxide but to protect the carbon cycle would be the carbon capture storage. This is where carbon emissions from factories and industries is combated and via pipeline injecting into porous rock, this will only work if overlain by an impermeable cap rock. CCS could reduce the emissions that go to the atmosphere by 85%. Despite this there will still be 15% of emissions going into the atmosphere increasing the atmospheric store, and this method allows polluters to continue polluting, plus its expensive to implement for countries other than AC,s who can afford it, additionally It lacks in research and could lead to co2 leakages occurring over time. Another method which doesn t reduce emissions but which could help combat climate change could be the carbon offsetting project, an international agreement made where big polluters such as cosmetic company natura, can invest money into carbon sink project such as the Surui forest project where local were provided with an income by the UN REDD who encouraged them to plant trees and limit deforestation in this Surui region. However, in present times the area is now being exploited for diamonds, causing more deforestation and reducing the terrestrial store of carbon by combustion. The scheme itself was very localised in the Suriu region, and the offsetting scheme allows polluters to continue polluting, it also flooded the market with cheap carbon credits, which made increasing polluting in the Cap-and-trade scheme more affordable.

The most effective way to reduce climate change is to reduce carbon emissions. The tipping point of 2 degrees is when climate change becomes irreversible, there are global and national schemes in place to prevent this from happening. One example of a national scheme is the moors for the future project in the uk. Wetland environments such as peat bogs are a carbon sink due to their waterlogged conditions meaning the soil biota is inactive and organic matter decays at a slower rate, trapping carbon. 32sqkm has been degraded on the Marsden moor causing its peatbogs to become carbon sources. Peatlands contain 1/3 of the terrestrial carbon store and are being eroded by up to 1m a year in areas. By revegetating moorlands, like the peak district this is the equivalent as

Another way to reduce climate change is to reduce carbon emissions. The tipping point of 2 degrees is when climate change becomes irreversible, there are global and national schemes in place to prevent this from happening. For example, the Kyoto protocol, 1997, 175 countries signed to reduce their collective emissions by 1GT, they exceeded this target and reduced emissions by 2GT. Another international treaty is COP 26, 200 pledged to reduce deforestation by 2030, cut methane emissions 2030 and the US and China (major polluters, >50% of coal consumption is China s). By reducing deforestation, existing forests can continue photosynthesising, sequestering and storing carbon by carbon fertilisation, transferring carbon from the atmosphere to the biosphere. However, these international treaties are not legally binding and often LIDCs and EDCs the countries likely going through rapid industrialisation can be excluded from signing. There is no incentive for countries to stop polluting and no penalties if they don t.

Because of this, it requires a combination of international treaties to reduce emissions as well as strategies to create or improve existing carbon sinks, such as wetland restoration projects, afforestation etc. Negative feedback loops are required to bring the system back to an equilibrium. Increased atmospheric stores of co2 will increase the rates of photosynthesis and plant growth which will then increase the terrestrial stores of carbon thus reducing atmospheric concentrations hopefully reducing the enhanced warming affect.