The Language of Global Warming: What Does it All Mean?

Sunday, March 29, 2009

The Language of Global Warming: What Does it All Mean?

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Global Warming Terminology by Laura Goyer

Here's a guide that may help to clarify some of the terms frequently used in discussions about global warming.

The first term is carbon dioxide (or CO2). Carbon dioxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is made up of two oxygen atoms bound to one carbon atom. It's used by the food, oil and chemical industries. Carbon dioxide creates carbonation in soft drinks, causes bread dough to rise, keeps ice cream frozen while it's being transported to the grocery store, and is used to remove caffeine from coffee. It inflates life vests and extinguishes fires. Carbon dioxide is used by welders, wine makers, dry cleaners and even by kids playing a game of paintball.

In the earth's atmosphere, carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. That means it transmits visible light but absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. Greenhouse gases determine the earth's temperature. Without them, our planet would probably be so cold it could not support human life. But the opposite is also true. Too much greenhouse gas in the atmosphere and our planet heats up. Global warming is another way of saying that average global temperatures have been steadily rising and increases in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are very likely to be the cause.

Human activity has a direct influence on the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. The term carbon footprint refers to a measurement of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual (or corporation, event or country). There are plenty of websites that will help you calculate your own carbon footprint.

Carbon reduction is just what is sounds like - steps taken to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Examples include taking the bus instead of driving your car, turning down the thermostat in your home, and using energy efficient CFL light bulbs. Ideally, we should all be aiming to be carbon neutral, which means we have a net zero carbon footprint. This is accomplished by balancing the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere with an equal amount offset or sequestered.

Carbon offsets can be purchased to neutralize the amount of greenhouse gases by funding projects which should cause an equal reduction of emissions somewhere else, such as tree planting. Under the premise "First reduce what you can, then offset the remainder", offsetting can be done by supporting a responsible carbon project or by buying carbon credits.

Carbon sequestration refers to the storage of carbon dioxide through biological, physical or chemical processes as a means of mitigating global warming. One very effective means of sequestering carbon is through reforestation. It has been proven that forests absorb carbon dioxide through their photosynthesis cycle, and most experts agree that increasing forests through reforestation will go a long way to help save our planet.

There are plenty of websites where you can purchase carbon offsets and/or support a carbon sequestration program. Green Chum is one such company. They sell carbon reduction certificates that can help you reduce your carbon footprint through reforestation. They are a relatively new company with an interesting business model that may go along way towards encouraging more people to take action in the fight against global warming.

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