The Energy Cycle

Each day as the Sun rises, our little blue world is showered with heat and light. This energy from the Sun is very important to all life on Earth. Without it, life could not exist.

While most of the heat and light that reaches the Earth is either reflected, or radiated back into space, some of it is captured by plant life through the process of photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis takes place when plants use sunlight in order to produce sugars. These sugars can than be used by the plant as food, in order to sustain the functions of life.

Animals do not have the ability to produce our own food. Thus we must obtain our energy by eating plants, or by eating other animals that have eaten plants.

At some point as plants, or animals die, or release waste into the environment, the heat from the Sun is released back into the environment.