While we hear about “carbon emissions” every day in the news, few of us have stopped to truly understand: What are carbon emissions? Carbon is pretty much everywhere. It is in food we eat, products we purchase and in our own bodies. With so much carbon everywhere, why do carbon emissions matter? We will take a deeper look into what CO2 is and why reducing emissions is so important.
Defining what carbon emissions are
Carbon is the fourth most common element in the universe after hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. It readily combines with other materials.
Carbon dioxide is one of those combinations. What is CO2? It is a molecule formed when a carbon atom combines with two oxygen atoms, hence CO2 for short. This combination is the result of the chemical reaction that occurs when a carbon fuel, like gasoline, coal or wood, is burned. Smaller amounts result from living things breathing and the decay of organic matter. When CO2 is created by burning carbon fuels it is a polluting carbon emission.
Carbon dioxide is called a greenhouse gas because it absorbs infrared radiation, which has the effect of warming the planet. Before human beings began burning carbon fuels, carbon dioxide made up 280 parts per million of the Earth’s atmosphere. As of May 2022, the concentration of CO2 is estimated at 421 parts per million.
Why do carbon emissions matter?
What is carbon pollution? It is the emission of CO2 from burning fossil fuels. It is considered pollution because of the negative impact this gas has on the planet. It absorbs heat in the form of infrared radiation, so it works like glass in a greenhouse.
Instead of that heat radiating away from the planet, it gets trapped in our atmosphere, warming the Earth. As our atmosphere warms, our climate changes. That is why we are seeing more severe storms, drought, and changing sea levels. A primary climate goal is to reduce carbon emissions.
What can we do about lowering carbon emissions?
When it comes to reducing carbon pollution, there are some effective approaches. We can reduce carbon emissions by changing our habits to use fewer carbon-emitting resources, and we can lower our carbon footprints by offsetting the emissions we produce. You can explore more about what a carbon footprint is here. Additionally, calling for structural changes that discourage carbon-emitting activities and encourage sustainable practices, such as supporting leaders who prioritize climate change mitigation and adaption, is critical.
Reducing CO2 emissions means using less carbon-emitting resources. Some ways for how to reduce your carbon footprint include:
- Consider biking to work, using public transportation or driving an electric vehicle. Burning less gasoline or diesel is the goal.
- Eat less red meat and dairy which is responsible for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Buy food produced locally to reduce the carbon emissions created to ship it.
- Buy fewer things and take care of them so that they last longer, making the best use of carbon emissions used to manufacture and ship them.
- Conduct an energy audit of your home to uncover ways to decrease the gas, oil and electricity you use.
Offsetting CO2 is a way to counteract the carbon emissions you inevitably create. For example, the EPA estimates that a car emits 8,887 grams of CO2 with every gallon of gasoline they burn, averaging about 404 grams per mile. You can remove carbon from the atmosphere equal to the carbon you emit through driving by doing things like planting trees, investing in carbon-free energy projects that remove carbon-producing power plants, and investing in carbon capture projects.
But consider that you want to plant trees to pull that carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. The carbon offset company 8 Billion Trees has a guide by species and a calculator for the size and age of your trees. You’ll need many, many acres to plant enough trees to compensate for just one year of driving your vehicle. That is impractical for most people.
It is easier to buy carbon offsets, paying for a fraction of big carbon reducing projects that have a measurable impact on the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Constellation + Carbon-Free Energy Generation
Constellation is a leader in investing in carbon-free energy generation technologies. In fact, we are America’s largest producer of clean energy, generating 10% of the carbon-free energy used in the U.S.
We have aggressive climate goals, but we are not alone in this endeavor. We know you care about the environment, too, which is why we empower our customers to be more sustainable.
Working together, we can support a cleaner and healthier environment. We invite you to explore our renewable energy options in deeper detail.