Oxygen Co-Emission

By: Rocío M., Victoria D., Candela M. and Sol P.

• Rainforests are widelyu believed by laymen to contribute a significant amount of the world's oxygen, although it is now accepted by scientists that rainforests contribute little net oxygen to the atmosphere and deforestation has only a minor effect on atmospheric oxygen levels.

•  However, the incineration and burning of forest plants to clear land releases large amounts of CO2, which contributes to global warming. 

• Scientists also state that tropical deforestation releases 1.5 billion tons of carbon each year into the atmosphere.

• Forests are also able to extract carbon dioxide and pollutants from the air, thus contributing to biosphere stability.

Carbon Emmission• Every time we burn fossil fuels such as

gas, coal or oil, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. In a natural carbon cycle, carbon dioxide is re-absorbed by plants and trees. However, we are burning fuels where the carbon dioxide has been trapped under the earth's surface for millions of years, and we're doing it so quickly that plants and trees that are alive now have no chance of soaking it up 

• The effect of all this extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is that the overall temperature of the planet is increasing (global warming). Whilst the average global temperature is increasing, on a day-to-day level the climate is changing in unpredictable ways. To try and reduce the risk of ever more extreme weather, we need to reduce how much fossil fuel we are burning. This isn't easy