• Consider this scenario:

You are a participant in a city council debate about global warming. During the debate, council members make conflicting statements about climate change, and most members are unsure about the sources of their information. The city council members realize that they do not have the scientific facts on global warming. You have been selected to conduct research on this topic and submit a report that includes these scientific facts. The council also wants you to explain the carbon cycle and how it relates to global warming.

The Assignment:

Write a report of two or more pages that presents the scientific facts about global warming and explains what the carbon cycle is and how it relates to global warming. Your report should address the following:

Part 1: The Carbon Cycle
Compare and contrast photosynthesis and cellular respiration by answering the following questions:

• How are cellular respiration and photosynthesis alike?
• How are cellular respiration and photosynthesis different?
• Why are these two processes interdependent?

Part 2: Scientific Facts About Global Warming
Identify at least three scientific facts related to global warming that include:

1. How atmospheric CO2 has changed over the last 650,000 years and since the Industrial Revolution (1850)
2. How scientists measure CO2 levels
3. At least two of the primary factors thought to be involved in the observed changes in atmospheric CO2 levels since the Industrial Revolution

Part 3: How the Carbon Cycle Relates to Global Warming
Explain how the carbon cycle relates to global warming, describing at least two implications of climate change for biological systems.