Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
The Carbon Cycle - Statistics & Facts
Carbon is one of the elements most fundamental to life on earth - it makes up almost half of all biomass in the natural world, and it is the source of much of our energy in both food and fuels. While other elements are also essential for sustaining life on earth, particularly oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen, living organisms are often referred to as "carbon-based life" due to its importance. The number of carbon atoms on earth has remained virtually unchanged for billions of years, but how it bonds with other atoms and is distributed across the earth's spheres can have a radical impact on our planet. Carbon moves between these spheres through a biochemical process known as the carbon cycle, and understanding this cycle is key to understanding climate change, which is considered by many as the greatest threat to humanity.
