The Global Carbon Cycle: A Test of Our Knowledge of Earth as a System

Abstract

Motivated by the rapid increase in atmospheric CO2 due to human activities since the Industrial Revolution, several international scientific research programs have analyzed the role of individual components of the Earth system in the global carbon cycle. Our knowledge of the carbon cycle within the oceans, terrestrial ecosystems, and the atmosphere is sufficiently extensive to permit us to conclude that although natural processes can potentially slow the rate of increase in atmospheric CO2, there is no natural "savior" waiting to assimilate all the anthropogenically produced CO2 in the coming century. Our knowledge is insufficient to describe the interactions between the components of the Earth system and the relationship between the carbon cycle and other biogeochemical and climatological processes. Overcoming this limitation requires a systems approach.

Concomitant Carboxylate and Oxalate Formation From the Activation of CO2 by a Thorium(III) Complex

“…There has been an international drive to reduce emissions of CO 2 through cleaner energy generation since its identification as a key contributor to global warming 1. In tandem the employment of CO 2 as a C 1 feedstock for fine chemical (by direct insertion into organic molecules)2 and liquid fuel (via reduction to CO for Fischer–Tropsch processes)3 synthesis have rapidly expanded to complement the optimized photosynthetic pathways employed by nature 4.…”

Mineral CO2 sequestration by environmental biotechnological processes

“…The fact that 42% wt/wt of the total carbon in the lithosphere of the earth is stored in the form of carbonate minerals shows the high capacity and stability of the mineral carbon storage (Falkowski et al, 2000). Additional advantages of the process as compared to other available carbon dioxide storage options (e.g.…”

“…The remainder of the carbon is a result of natural activities ( Fig. 2.1) (Bowen, 1979;Ehrlich, 2002;Falkowski et al, 2000;Houghton et al, 2001b). Most of the carbon released is returned to the lithosphere and hydrosphere by several natural mechanisms, stabilizing the atmospheric CO 2 concentrations over the geological time-scales.…”

“…The production rate of anthropogenic CO 2 in the past decades is such that the weathering rate of silicate minerals cannot balance the increased production rate (Falkowski et al, 2000). Manipulation of the natural environments with the aim of increase of the weathering rate by addition of for example chemicals or increase the surface area of silicate minerals has shown to negatively influence the natural environment in long-term (Koehler et al, 2010).…”

Current challenges in de novo plant genome sequencing and assembly

“…Plants form the base of the food chain that provides food for all living organisms, and just 15 crop plants provide 90% of the world's food intake [1]. Plant species are responsible for maintaining the balance of the carbon cycles [2], for developing and maintaining soil from erosion [3], and are promising sources of renewable energy [4]. Plant byproducts are used in many human medicines [5], and plants have been essential model organisms for studying biological systems such as the role of transposons and epigenetics [6].…”