Week 4 Assignment Template: Sustainable Living Guide Contrib ✓ Solved

Week 4 Assignment Template Sustainable Living Guide Contribu

Week 4 Assignment Template Sustainable Living Guide Contributions, Part Four of Four: Sustaining our Atmosphere and Climate. Instructions: Using the term that you have selected from the list provided in the classroom, please complete the following three-paragraph essay. Write a minimum of 5 to 7 well-crafted, original sentences per paragraph. In your response, you are expected to cite and reference, in APA format, at least two outside sources in addition to the class text. The sources must be credible (from experts in the field of study); at least one scholarly source (published in a peer-reviewed academic journal) is strongly encouraged. Your Term: carbon sequestration. First Paragraph: Thoroughly define your term, using your own words to do so. In your definition, be sure explain why the term is important to know. Be as specific as possible and provide examples as necessary to support your ideas. Second Paragraph: Discuss how the term affects living beings (including humans) and/or the physical environment. Provide examples as needed. Third Paragraph: Suggest two clear, specific actions that you and the other students might take to promote environmental sustainability in relation to this term. For example, you might recommend supporting a particular organization that is active in the field of your term. Explain exactly how those actions will aid in safeguarding our environment in relation to your chosen term. References: Following your essay, list all references you cited, in APA format.

Paper For Above Instructions

Carbon sequestration refers to the long-term removal and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) or other forms of carbon from the atmosphere into reservoirs such as forests, soils, wetlands, geological formations, or engineered systems. In my own words, it is the process by which biological, chemical, or physical systems capture atmospheric carbon and hold it so that it does not contribute to atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and warming. Carbon sequestration is important to know because it is a key component of climate mitigation strategies: reducing emissions alone may not be sufficient to meet global temperature targets, so removing existing CO2 is necessary to balance residual emissions (IPCC, 2018). There are two broad categories: natural carbon sequestration (for example, photosynthesis in trees and carbon stabilization in soils) and engineered carbon removal (such as geological storage through carbon capture and storage (CCS) or direct air capture with underground storage). Examples include forest regrowth sequestering carbon in biomass and soils, biochar application that stabilizes carbon in soil, and geologic injection of CO2 into depleted oil and gas reservoirs (Griscom et al., 2017; Lal, 2004). Understanding the mechanisms, capacities, and time scales of each reservoir is essential because some pathways store carbon for centuries (geological) while others are shorter-lived or reversible without careful management (biological systems) (Smith et al., 2016).

Carbon sequestration affects living beings and the physical environment in multiple, interconnected ways. On the positive side, enhancing biological sequestration through afforestation, reforestation, and improved soil management can improve ecosystem services: increased biodiversity, improved water regulation, and greater soil fertility, which benefits agriculture and food security (Griscom et al., 2017; Lal, 2004). For humans, these co-benefits translate into healthier livelihoods, better crop yields, and resilience against extreme weather, while lowering atmospheric CO2 reduces risks to public health from climate-related hazards (IPCC, 2018). However, not all sequestration approaches are benign: large-scale deployment of land-intensive measures (for example, monoculture plantations or bioenergy with carbon capture and storage—BECCS) can compete with food production, harm local ecosystems, and adversely affect communities if not planned equitably (Fuss et al., 2018; Minx et al., 2018). Engineered sequestration like geological storage reduces atmospheric CO2 effectively and long-term, but requires rigorous site selection and monitoring because risks of leakage and governance failures could undermine benefits and create local hazards (Smith et al., 2016). Thus, the net impact on living systems depends on the pathway chosen, its governance, and how co-benefits and trade-offs are managed; integrated approaches that prioritize natural climate solutions and sustainable land management often deliver the most near-term social and ecological benefits (Griscom et al., 2017).

To promote environmental sustainability related to carbon sequestration, I recommend two clear, specific actions that students and peers can take. First, organize and participate in campus and community regenerative land projects—such as tree planting with native species, community gardens that apply soil-carbon-building practices (cover cropping, reduced tillage, compost additions), and local wetland restoration—and partner with reputable organizations (for example, local chapters of The Nature Conservancy or Soil Health Institute programs) to ensure ecological appropriateness and monitoring. These activities build soil carbon, increase biomass carbon stocks, and deliver local co-benefits such as improved biodiversity and community well-being; they also provide hands-on education and measurable sequestration data that can be tracked over time (Griscom et al., 2017; Lal, 2004). Second, advocate for institutional and policy measures that prioritize verified, science-based carbon removal and discourage harmful trade-offs: encourage your university to adopt procurement and investment policies that support natural climate solutions and responsibly verified carbon removal projects (e.g., high-integrity offsets or support for research in direct air capture and durable storage), and lobby local policymakers to include soil carbon and ecosystem restoration in municipal climate action plans. Supporting transparent standards, carbon accounting, and research reduces the risk of ineffective or unjust sequestration programs while scaling solutions with demonstrated long-term benefits (Fuss et al., 2018; Minx et al., 2018). Both actions—hands-on ecosystem restoration and institutional policy advocacy—help safeguard the environment by increasing durable carbon stocks, reducing emissions pressure on vulnerable ecosystems, and building social support and governance frameworks necessary for equitable, long-term sequestration outcomes (IPCC, 2018; Smith et al., 2016).

References

  • Fuss, S., Canadell, J. G., Peters, G. P., Tavoni, M., Andrew, R. M., Ciais, P., Jackson, R. B., et al. (2018). Negative emissions—Part 2: Costs, potentials and side effects. Environmental Research Letters, 13(6), 063002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aabf9f
  • Griscom, B. W., Adams, J., Ellis, P. W., Houghton, R. A., Lomax, G., Miteva, D. A., Schlesinger, W. H., et al. (2017). Natural climate solutions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(44), 11645–11650. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1710465114
  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2018). Global warming of 1.5°C — Summary for policymakers. https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
  • Lal, R. (2004). Soil carbon sequestration impacts on global climate change and food security. Science, 304(5677), 1623–1627. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1097396
  • Minx, J. C., Lamb, W. F., Callaghan, M. W., Bornmann, L., & Fuss, S. (2018). Negative emissions—Part 1: Research landscape and synthesis. Environmental Research Letters, 13(6), 063001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aabf9b
  • Smith, P., Davis, S. J., Creutzig, F., Fang, J., et al. (2016). Biophysical and economic limits to negative CO2 emissions. Nature Climate Change, 6, 42–50. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2870
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2021). Inventory of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and sinks. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sinks
  • The Nature Conservancy. (2020). Reforestation and carbon sequestration. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/reforestation-and-climate-change/
  • Soil Health Institute. (2020). Soil carbon and climate. https://soilhealthinstitute.org/soil-carbon-and-climate/
  • Carbon180. (2019). What is carbon removal? https://carbon180.org/what-is-carbon-removal/

Related Assignments