What is Carbon Neutral?
With climate change rarely out of the news understanding the carbon cycle and how to reduce your carbon footprint is important if we are to stave off the effects of global warming.
Many people attempting to live in an eco friendly and green way, will be aware of the need to reduce our carbon footprints and live as carbon neutral as possible.
However, some people still find the concept difficult to grasp and are unsure of what carbon neutral really means.
Most energy we consume that powers and heats our homes, businesses and cars produces carbon dioxide (CO2) as a by-product.
Whether its from the electricity that is generated in coal-fired power stations, gas that is burnt in our boilers or the petrol and diesel in our cars - all produce as a by-products CO2.
Contrary to popular belief, carbon dioxide is harmless to our health (unlike carbon monoxide which is a completely different by-product and should not be confused as it is not a major greenhouse gas), we breath out carbon dioxide ourselves as a by-product of burning oxygen in our bodies.
However, carbon dioxide does have an effect on the environment and as mankind is now producing far more CO2 than we are naturally meant to, this has caused the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere to rise.
CO2 is a greenhouse gas, this simply means it acts as insulator, trapping the warmth from the sun's light - just as a the glass in a greenhouse does.
Being carbon neutral, means that the carbon produced, for example by driving your car, is offset by the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.
For example, bio-fuels, now increasingly used in vehicles as a greener solution, whilst still producing CO2 when you drive, is offset by the growth of the vegetation that makes the fuel because when it is growing the biofuel crop will absorb CO2 in the atmosphere and turn it into oxygen.
Trying to remain carbon neutral is a difficult task and a daunting prospect for many businesses that are encouraged to make their companies as carbon neutral as possible.
However, with such a wide range of eco-friendly products and innovations being developed all the time, it is hoped that eventually we will all be able to live a carbon neutral existence.
Many people attempting to live in an eco friendly and green way, will be aware of the need to reduce our carbon footprints and live as carbon neutral as possible.
However, some people still find the concept difficult to grasp and are unsure of what carbon neutral really means.
Most energy we consume that powers and heats our homes, businesses and cars produces carbon dioxide (CO2) as a by-product.
Whether its from the electricity that is generated in coal-fired power stations, gas that is burnt in our boilers or the petrol and diesel in our cars - all produce as a by-products CO2.
Contrary to popular belief, carbon dioxide is harmless to our health (unlike carbon monoxide which is a completely different by-product and should not be confused as it is not a major greenhouse gas), we breath out carbon dioxide ourselves as a by-product of burning oxygen in our bodies.
However, carbon dioxide does have an effect on the environment and as mankind is now producing far more CO2 than we are naturally meant to, this has caused the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere to rise.
CO2 is a greenhouse gas, this simply means it acts as insulator, trapping the warmth from the sun's light - just as a the glass in a greenhouse does.
Being carbon neutral, means that the carbon produced, for example by driving your car, is offset by the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.
For example, bio-fuels, now increasingly used in vehicles as a greener solution, whilst still producing CO2 when you drive, is offset by the growth of the vegetation that makes the fuel because when it is growing the biofuel crop will absorb CO2 in the atmosphere and turn it into oxygen.
Trying to remain carbon neutral is a difficult task and a daunting prospect for many businesses that are encouraged to make their companies as carbon neutral as possible.
However, with such a wide range of eco-friendly products and innovations being developed all the time, it is hoped that eventually we will all be able to live a carbon neutral existence.
