Even the smallest detail has been included in an Oak Ridge National Laboratory study that examines the consumption and release of carbon by humans. The study provides calculations for carbon intake, expiration and excretions of people, and includes a geographical map that paints a clear picture of where these releases are occurring. Of note is that the spatial distribution of carbon release by humans is nearly opposite the distribution of carbon uptake by agricultural crops. Tristram West, lead author of the paper published in Biogeochemistry, noted that with a global population exceeding 6.5 billion, humans move large amounts of carbon on the Earth's surface. "Humans are using, storing and transporting carbon about the Earth's surface," West said. "Inclusion of these carbon dynamics can improve our understanding of carbon sources and sinks." This study utilized many resources, including the LandScan Global Population Database, a unique high-resolution tool developed and maintained by ORNL. The research was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and the Department of Energy's Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center.
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