Carbon Neutrality: Responsible for the Environment - Essay Example

Carbon Neutrality What is carbon neutral? The world is becoming increasingly responsible for the environment. People have become aware of the presence of what is called a carbon footprint. The carbon footprint is the carbon dioxide emissions or equivalents we leave behind from our consumption patterns. As the carbon dioxide is harmful and contributes to global warming it is required to reduce the emissions. Further, use of carbon depletes the environment from wood and fossil fuels. The world has a common ecosystem and hence environmental policies need to be implemented at a global level. The global conscience is the precise reason that we are observing a move by the developed nations to clean up the environment. As a consequence many people want to reverse the harm that is done to the environment when cars pollute, polluting materials are thrown away or when trees are cut for paper. The list is endless. Carbon is closely linked to the environment as all forests and fuels contain carbon. Consumers are looking at returning to the environment the carbon they destroy. This is done by funding new green technologies, recycling and reforestation. To enable this we have an intermediate agency called a carbon offset provider. The provider takes money from the consumer and spends it on replenishing the environment with forests or sponsors clean technology activities. A carbon calculator is used that finds out your carbon dioxide output and the amount you need to spend to reverse the damage. The agency takes this money from the consumer and in return grants a carbon neutral certificate. This is called purchasing an offset. One unit of offset purchased implies one ton of carbon dioxide emissions avoided. The money is used to replace the carbon the consumer has used to the environment. This is done on a global basis, many times with developed nations growing forests in lesser developed regions. If the consumer is carbon neutral it means that the carbon consumed has been returned to the ecosystem. Carbon neutrality is becoming a popular choice to replenish emissions. Greenhouse effect and global warming Carbon dioxide causes 70% of global warming, methane causes 23% and 7% is from nitrous oxides. The rate of emission is so high that these gases cannot be converted by nature to a harmless form. Carbon dioxide is generated from the combustion of fossil fuels. Methane is generated in fossil fuel extraction and in anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. Nitrous oxides are emitted from nitrogen fertilizers in damp, warm conditions. Exhausts from planes contain nitrous oxides that react to form ozone. Ozone is a greenhouse gas as well. The main sources for greenhouse gas emissions are energy, transport, agriculture, land use, industry and waste. The global warming effect is a maximum with hydro fluorocarbons and per-fluorocarbons, followed by nitrous oxides, methane and carbon dioxide. Technology for carbon neutrality This involves emissions avoided and sequestration. Emissions are avoided by lesser use of carbon. Sequestration means capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it by planting trees. Energy consumption is reduced by using energy efficient devices in household use. Low pollution efforts include replacing open fires by stoves in developing countries. Reduced pollution also means better health. Renewable energy replaces high carbon emission energy like use of coal or gas by low or zero emission energies. Renewable energies include wind, solar, capture and storage of fossil fuels, solar thermal, hydro, landfill gas, geo-thermal and bio-fuels. Fuel emission reduction involves capture or conversion of the gases that would be vented into the atmosphere. Renewable energies do not exhaust the environment and will become the trend of the future as the fossil fuels run out. Carbon sequestration implies reduction of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by growing vegetation to store carbon. We can also avoid deforestation and improve agricultural practices. We can ensure sustainable forest industry, prevent erosion, increase biodiversity and use water resources better. Sequestration needs to be integrated with other aspects of the environmental plans. The phenomenon of global warming Global warming is an environmental crisis. This can cause droughts, floods and storms. Global warming is a consequence of greenhouse gas emissions. The source of these emissions is our consumption habits. The problems are burning of fossil fuels, unsustainable agriculture and clearing of forests. To manage global warming we need to be more energy efficient and less polluting. Corporate environmental ratings need to be established. We need to influence government decision making for the implementation of environmental policy. As consumer culture becomes more environmentally friendly it will drive political change. Consumers will change to safer habits and will be responsible for the environment. Methods to make the house carbon neutral A domestic dwelling can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions such that there is no net impact on the environment. The areas of concern include electricity, vehicles and water. Reduction technologies are applied to attain better energy efficiencies. Heat loss in the house is mostly through windows. Glazing helps prevent this loss. The principles involved are emissions, heat absorption and reflection. Airtight compounds and sealing prevent heat loss along with the use of frames that prevent air leakage. High technology energy efficient electrical products are available that reduce up to 40% of the energy costs. Equipment with lower heat output reduces cooling costs. Cooling systems use a large amount of energy. The energy consumption can be reduced by landscaping and automatic air handling. Digital control systems can optimize the entire energy consumption for the house. Design and construction methods can create green buildings that are energy efficient. These facilitate better use of electricity, cooling and water. Insulating the house will help save energy. Renewable energies like wind, photovoltaic, solar thermal and geo-thermal are being used increasingly. The industry is rapidly developing the technology for renewable energy. These clean energies will soon become competitive. Planting trees in the house premises is a good way to achieve carbon sequestration. Other than these domestic methods the household can buy carbon offsets. Even if all of this cannot be done together, one could take small steps on the path. Simple actions around the house include finding out the electrical consumption of appliances and turning off unwanted devices. It is important to use recycled material. Comparison of cost versus benefits of carbon neutrality The cost to offset the carbon dioxide produced by the dwelling is calculated by a carbon calculator. A large number of parameters are involved and the calculation is complex. The cost of the offset is the financial amount required to reverse the damages from carbon dioxide emissions. This cost is very low compared to the real benefits that result from the protection of the environment. Factors in the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions A calculator estimates the energy consumption of a dwelling. It estimates the direct energy and emissions from the fuel and electricity used. It also estimates the upstream energy and emissions. The upstream factors are the consumptions in the manufacture of fuel and electricity generation. It looks at the embodied energy and emissions involved in the materials we consume at home. It also considers the waste we generate. Other consumptions are by vehicles and travel. Housing and possessions are factored in as well. These calculators raise consumer awareness by quantifying the emissions they are responsible for. These can be used to set standards. The calculator also has a cost perspective. It calculates the energy costs per year for the consumers. A carbon calculator input includes the number of people in your house and the consumption of electricity, natural gas and heating oil. It also has a transportation input. This is the distance traveled by your vehicles and your vehicle mileage. Air travel distance is also an input. These inputs are on a time basis. Some calculators would use your bills for the inputs. The carbon calculator returns the individual carbon footprint. This is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere by an individual. It also returns the carbon offset cost that is the financial amount required to reverse the ecological damage caused by the green house gases emitted. The calculator will also compare the emission by an individual to the population average. Solution to mathematical problem A dwelling has an annual carbon dioxide output of 16 tons. It has an annual use of gas of 33000 kWh. It has an annual electricity use of 8500 kWh. The carbon calculator for this problem returns the following figures: The carbon footprint of the house is 11.81 tons of carbon dioxide per year. This has a carbon offset cost of $64.95 per year. It is important to note that the carbon dioxide output returned by the calculator is different from the actual. This could be because of unconsidered complex factors. Standards for carbon neutrality The ISO 14064 standards are for greenhouse gas accounting. These support emission reduction targets and apply to offset projects. The Gold Standard is sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund. This standard is for sustainable development and is being used by the UK government. The Greenhouse Gases Protocol establishes a framework to set carbon dioxide reduction targets. The Voluntary Carbon Standard verifies the claims of emission reductions. The Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards are used for land management projects. The Green-e GHG Emission Reduction Product Certification Program sets renewable energy standards and verification standards to qualify carbon offset projects. Carbon footprint of the dwelling The carbon footprint of the dwelling comprises the carbon dioxide production at the energy source, the household generation and the emissions at the factories that manufacture the goods we use. The technology to make the dwelling carbon neutral includes recycling, clean energy, pollution control, and carbon sequestration. Green means of energy recycling include reforestation. The firms creating and using the energy are responsible financially for recycling the energy. Individuals can use goods packaged in recycled material and the governments can improve waste disposal practices to minimize the emission of greenhouse gases. Industries that use water can treat the waste water so that it can be reused in the factory. Equipments in the factory emit heat that gets released in the environment. Factories can recover this heat and thus reduce the energy consumption. As heat is not being wasted the amount of fuel and energy required will be lower. At homes in warm environments heat from the environment can be captured for household use. Solar homes have shown a lot of potential. An individual can contribute to responsible use of energy by using electricity and paper conservatively and also by reducing travel. Some individuals and firms go beyond their responsibility and buy more offsets than required to clear their own carbon footprint. They return more to the environment than what they take from it. It is expected that as time goes almost all consumers would keep track of their carbon footprint. A one year simulation of a domestic dwelling The simulation will compare the benefits for different levels of carbon offset. The benefits will include cost savings, energy savings and reduced carbon output. Cost savings will be ensured by more efficient use of materials and lower consumption. Energy savings will be enabled by better use of electricity and fuel. These will result in lower carbon output. The carbon output is then offset. The benefits can be measured versus the carbon offset. The numbers for one year can be compared with the previous years. This will let us know how offsets perform in terms of cost and benefits. Responsible use of carbon could lead to lower overall costs that will be measured by the experiment. It will also measure consumption levels and energy use. The simulation will include the current energy climate. Inflation will also be considered to account for the rising costs of gas and electricity. The calculation will be complex and will include all the parameters that are related to carbon offsets. The calculation uses emission factors. Emission factors quantify the amount of carbon dioxide generated for a unit of energy. The sources include manufactured goods, food and residential buildings. The other important sources are electricity and home heating fuels. The parameters will also include differences due to renewable energy sources. Another important factor is the use of water. Energy that is wasted will be accounted for. Shopping preferences also have an impact on emissions. These include packaging and storage. Emissions from municipal waste are considered in the simulation. Benefits from recycling will also be calculated. The simulation will include the effect on landfills. All the numbers used will be from reliable sources. The truth behind carbon neutrality by environmentalists The United Nations scientists have stated that the earth may be in trouble. This is because human activities are making a rapid impact on the environment. Countries are reacting by pledging to protect the environment. On the ground research by environmentalists has shown a very valid contradictory picture. The position of the environmentalists is that while the governments are making commitments, these are not being converted to action. Carbon neutrality is considered a hoax by many environmentalists. The logic behind carbon neutrality is for favorable accounting purposes. It is also being used to make huge donations abroad. It is not making an impact on consumption patterns of developed countries. The technology behind carbon neutrality is unproven. All the projects in poor countries will not be able to cancel out the emissions from the developed world. Another fact is that the phenomenon is created for political opinion. The responsibility for reducing emissions should be shared internationally and equally. The environmentalists say that the action has to be in developed countries. It will take tremendous research and development before a solution is found. Developing nations need to make the infrastructure required for clean technology. A critical review Carbon offset sellers are eco-capitalists who pretend to be environmentalists in order to make money. They try to sell good climate deeds. The money is spent on carbon offsets to project the image of an environmentally friendly company. This environmentally friendly picture translates to more sales. This process is called carbon branding and is leading to a rapidly increasing carbon offset market. Predictions show that the carbon offset market will be worth a lot of money that is the reason eco-capitalists are flooding the market with false information. Credible environmentalists have warned the industry and the people against these schemes. Important information The culture of offsets is flawed as actual consumption is not reduced. What is needed is an environmentally conscious lifestyle. Paying the offset money does not fulfill the responsibility to the environment. Companies are trying to green-wash their activities by buying carbon offsets and not reducing emissions at the source. The carbon sequestration schemes have many problems. Non native trees are being planted leading to a damaged ecosystem and land degradation. The local people have lost their livelihood and fuel. The permanence of the trees is not certain either. The time frame specified for the trees to reabsorb carbon dioxide is around a hundred years. This is slower than the rate emissions are created. The amount of carbon dioxide that has been neutralized by the offset cannot be calculated accurately. We cannot measure the amount of carbon dioxide that will be absorbed by the trees. The amount of carbon dioxide reductions cannot be measured for renewable energy projects either. The estimates for these figures vary greatly. This is because of the complexities of the carbon cycle. The carbon dioxide released by burning fossil fuels will be absorbed back into nature and converted to fuel again after millennia long geological processes. Land rights and social justice are the most important issues. Around seventy percent of the World Bank poverty alleviation projects in the poor countries are failures. The projects are being carried out in developing nations because of cheap land, labor and materials. Finally, in many places carbon sequestration has destroyed villages. People did not get the employment in the plantations as promised. Some carbon sequestration projects involved violent evictions. The human rights of these forest dwellers were abused by their own governments. Understanding the holistic perspective The carbon neutrality phenomenon is being driven by the increasingly responsible attitude of the consumers. They are seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and also to reverse the harm their consumption does to the environment. The world is increasingly being managed as a connected ecosystem. The principles in place are reduced consumption, recycling, reducing emissions upstream and downstream, green energy and sequestration. Greenhouse gases lead to global warming and that has catastrophic consequences. It will really take a long time for the carbon to be absorbed into the ecosystem and reach its original condition. High technology, low emission houses are one possible solution. A lot of common sense is involved as well. There is a range of carbon calculators available from simple to complex. The example considered shows that it does not take a lot of money to protect the environment. There are many protocols to govern the carbon offset business. The simulation here will contribute to research by proving if a carbon neutral dwelling is the way of the future. There are many ecological issues involved because of the complexity of the carbon cycle. There are many social and political justice issues that require immediate attention. Land and human rights issues involved are a priority. From the technology angle a lot of research will be required for a zero pollution future. The governments need to work with the industry, environmentalists and scientists if we are to have a green and safe future. The research specified here will contribute to this end. Sources “Carbon Calculators”, (2007), Carbonfund.org, viewed 8 May 2008, Coulter, L., Canadell, J. & Dhakal, S. (2008), “Carbon Reductions and Offsets”, Global Carbon Project, ESSP Report No. 5, GCP Report No. 6 Newport, D., (2004), “Carbon Neutral Assessment Project”, Office of Sustainability, University of Florida Rose, B., (2006), “GHG-Energy-Calc – a Tool for Self-audit of Domestic Greenhouse Gas Emissions”, carbonneutral, viewed 8 May 2008, Rosenthal, E., (2008), “A carbon-neutral Norway: Fine print in the plan”, International Herald Tribune, Europe, viewed 8 May 2008, Smith, K., (2007), “The Carbon Neutral Myth Offset Indulgences for your Climate Sins”, Carbon Trade Watch, Transnational Institute, The Netherlands Read More