Carbon emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels and deforestation, contribute to global warming by trapping infrared radiation from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere. Carbon credits can offset emissions, and carbon footprints can be calculated to determine how much offsetting is needed. Other greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide, also affect the planet’s temperature. Some dispute the link between man-made carbon emissions and global warming.
Carbon emissions, also called CO2 emissions, are simply carbon dioxide molecules released into the air. Usually, the reason it gets talked about so much is that when carbon dioxide is released into the air, in very large quantities, it can contribute to global warming. This excess carbon dioxide gas can trap infrared radiation from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere, where it is then converted into heat energy. This energy warms the oceans and can lead to climate change across the planet.
The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum products, is a major source of carbon emissions. Deforestation is also a factor, for two reasons. First, burning forests creates more CO2, and second, the reduced number of trees and other plants leaves fewer resources for converting carbon dioxide into oxygen through the process of photosynthesis.
One popular way people try to balance their extra carbon emissions, created by commuting, cooking, and using electricity generated from fossil fuels, is by purchasing carbon credits, which are also called carbon offsets. This means that for every ton of carbon a person uses, they financially support a business that reduces carbon dioxide in the air by an equal amount. For example, these funds could go towards a tree planting initiative or a company that uses wind or water energy.
To determine how much carbon emissions a person might need to balance, an individual can calculate their carbon footprint, which is a numerical figure based on the amount of fossil-fuel-based energy they use to power their home, car, and and any other mode of transportation that you may use. Depending on the selected carbon footprint calculator, he can also take into consideration whether he buys items, such as food and clothing, that are locally produced and from sustainable sources. It can be difficult to calculate a 100% accurate carbon footprint, so many people choose to overcompensate, to make sure they’re compensating enough.
There are some people who dispute whether man-made carbon emissions are a cause of global warming. Some of these people believe that the Earth is simply warming due to natural processes. Apart from this argument, it can certainly be said that CO2 is not the only gas that affects the temperature of the planet. Other gases that could be harmful to the earth’s climate are methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and water vapour. Together with carbon dioxide, these substances are known as greenhouse gases.
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