Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 17:25
Forums
Arctic Sunlight and Microbial Interactions

Hi , My name is Anthony I am from pope john paul and would like to know about this organic carbon you are reaseaching . Is this organic carbon harmful to the Earth and can it be a part of the cause of global warming . Thank you

Sat, 07/06/2013 - 08:57

Bruce Taterka

Anthony -
Great question! Organic carbon is found all over. It's in you and me, all the plants and animals, and in the food we eat. In fact, when you eat food and digest it, you break down the carbon and breathe out carbon dioxide. In the same way, bacteria break down organic matter and convert the carbon to carbon dioxide. The problem is that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, which means that it's one of the causes of global warming. The more that organic matter is converted to CO2, the more CO2 there will be in the air, which could promote gobal warming.
Thanks for the question!
- Bruce