Background Information Plants absorbing CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) and releasing O (Oxygen) is a large part of the CC debate.

My experiment asks: how much CO2 can a plant absorb in 25 days? The independent variable in this experiment is the amount of time the plant is in the container and the dependent variable is how much CO2 is absorbed by the plant. To test this I will have two containers, one with a plant in it and the other without. I will measure these two boxes CO2 levels over 25 days. This will allow me to test how much CO2 the plant absorbed in x days. CO2 is the greenhouse gas that is most common in the atmosphere and takes part in what scientists call the greenhouse gas effect. CO2 accelerates the greenhouse gas effect by adding further insulation to the atmosphere and enabling the atmosphere to hold in more heat than it needs to causing CC. The greenhouse gas effect is one of the main contributors to CC and the CC Debate. Since plants 'breathe in" CO2 and "breathe out" O they lower the CO2 levels in the atmosphere and replace it with oxygen. This lowers the effects of the greenhouse gas effect and could change how CC will affect the earth. This also means that doing this experiment will allow us to see how much we can lower CO2 levels by planting plants. This is how my experiment is related to the CC Debate. Although CO2 naturally occurs humans have caused it's percentage in the atmosphere to rise by 36% since 1750 (Office, 2012, Pg. 2, P. 3). This is a problem since the more greenhouses gasses there are the more The Greenhouse Gas Effect will cause CC. This is because The Greenhouse Gas Effect is what holds heat in the Earth and keeps it at a livable temperature (Climate, 2012, P. 3), but if we accelerate this process than the Earth will get warmer which will greatly affect how the Earth operates and sustains life. This is how CO2 affects our lives and our world. Purpose Statement To better understand Climate Change (CC) we are writing a Lab Report that will defend our opinions on CC. The majority of people feel that CC is our entire fault while we may just be accelerating and contributing to a natural process. Some possible causes of CC include the greenhouse gas effect, changes in the sun's activity, and human activity (mainly contributing to the greenhouse gas effect). Some of the possible results of CC (Warming) include the Earth, in generality, becoming warmer, these warmer temperatures cause more evaporation and precipitation, resulting in flooding, sea levels rising from the expansion of water in the warmer temperatures and the melting ice, and possibly benefitting plants with the abundance of CO2. The purpose of this project is to try to better understand what is causing Global Warming and how to prevent it. Also, to present our ideas and experiments at the CSA Research Fair in March. My experiment that I will be testing is how much CO2 a plant can dissipate out of the air in two days. I am testing this because it will allow us to know how much CO2 we can dissipate in the atmosphere by planting trees and plants at home and around town. This could also be a major step in reducing CC. The purpose of my experiment in relation to CC is that lessening the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere could help reduce the severity of CC. Hypothesis

If I test the CO2 levels of two boxes after letting them sit for 25 days, one with a plant in it and the other without, then the CO2 levels of the air in the box with a plant in it will be lower than the one without. Methods & Materials Materials: Two Air-Tight Containers One Plant Two CO2 Meters An Open Area to Set the Containers On Plant Pot Soil A Notebook (Or Something to Document as the Experiment Progresses)

Methods: The methods of my experiment are as follows: First, gather all of the materials. Second, put soil into the plant pot and level it smoothly. Third, dig a hole big enough to hold all of the plants roots and place the plant in the hole. Fourth, press the dirt down and around the plant until it is firmly held in place. Fifth, place the planted plant in one of the containers along with a CO2 meter. Sixth, water the plant. Seventh, seal the container. Eighth, set the second CO2 meter into the other container and seal it. Ninth, take an initial CO2 reading, and then take a reading once a day at a specific time for 25 days for both containers. Finally, document your results. This experiments goal and purpose is to test how much CO2 a plant can absorb in the air over the course of 25 days. This relates to CC by showing how much we can reduce the greenhouse gas effect by planting plants. The independent variable in this experiment is the amount of time the plant is in the container. The control group of this experiment is the second airtight box that doesnt contain a plant. This control group is relevant because it is the air that was in the room previous to the experiment starting so that we will have a definite value of CO2 to compare to. This is what I will be comparing the first airtight boxs CO2 readings against. My results will contain 50 data points overall, one each day from the control group and one each day from the experimental group. To obtain these results I will place a CO2 meter in each of the containers and record their readings every day during lunch time. To eliminate variances in the CO2 caused by changes in the environment outside of the plant and air I am placing everything in two airtight boxes as described above.