Carbon Catastrophe
The copious amounts of carbon entering our atmosphere may prove to be more detrimental than many of us realize.
Second to hydrogen, carbon is the most abundant element in the universe. Some regard it as the element that sustains life itself. Nearly everything we see on Earth is comprised of some amount of carbon, including ourselves. Carbon is most commonly known for being in the air we breathe, carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide, the compound, is not to be confused with carbon, the element. However, when referring to carbon emissions into our atmosphere, carbon dioxide is the main contributor.
Carbon dioxide is what’s known as a greenhouse gas. A greenhouse gas differs from other types of gases in that greenhouse gases absorb and emit infrared radiation and energy. This causes the greenhouse effect, where the greenhouse gases block heat from escaping the Earth’s atmosphere. When this heat can’t escape, Earth’s surface temperature begins to rise. Something as abundant as carbon dioxide can spiral into a global warming. Luckily for us, however, the amount of carbon dioxide produced naturally by organisms is unable to dramatically affect our temperatures.
Unluckily for us, there are unnatural ways to produce carbon dioxide as well. Burning fossil fuels, for one, can release an extreme amount of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. Fossil fuels like natural gas, crude oils, and coal are burnt recklessly in order to keep engine based machines and many factories running. Additionally, deforestation decreases the amount of carbon dioxide that can be absorbed, leaving it free in our atmosphere. This overproduction of carbon dioxide and failure to get rid excess directly affects our atmosphere. The greenhouse effect only increases with amount of greenhouse gases present.
Global warming, to the extent that we see it today, is mainly caused by the greenhouse effect. At the rate we’re going, it seems as if we’re just clogging our atmosphere with greenhouse gases, watching the temperature slowly rise and rise. Many efforts have been and are being made to stop such careless emission of greenhouse gases.
We need to take initiative in order to improve the current global warming and carbon emission crisis. Simple examples of what we can do to help include expending less gas when taking transportation. We should carpool and go easy on brakes when we get the opportunity. Engines are a large contributor to carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, we should be more aware of electronics such as air conditioners and take them off when we aren’t using them. In fact, something as easy as planting trees can contribute to reducing carbon emissions. It’s not an inconvenience to alleviate ourselves of our carbon catastrophe.
