Carbon in the Taiao Report

The carbon cycle is a natural process where carbon is used and released in a continuous circle every day on
Earth. There is a level of carbon that is good for us to have on Earth so that all the living processes can be
carried out. However, this balance is very fragile and can be affected very easily. For thousands of years,
before the Industrial Revolution in 1750 - 1850 changed everything, when we used cleaner and more
hand-driven natural energy sources, the CO2 levels in the atmosphere were quite stable at around 280 parts
per million (ppm) for thousands of years. Our climate and ecosystems got very used to evolving and living
sustainably with this baseline level, and the diverse range of life on the planet was very successful and
balanced. But since 2022, the CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere have exceeded 400 ppm, and that is
something that has not happened for millions of years.

This is because there are processes that are involved in the carbon cycle and these processes are being
affected by what human beings are doing to our planet. While there isn't a specific threshold for a "good" level
of atmospheric CO2, Most scientists agree that we should try to stabilise CO2 concentrations at a level of
around 280-300 ppm, which is close to what it was before the Industrial Revolution. However, achieving this
goal requires significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and concerted efforts to transition to
renewable energy sources and sustainable land use practices.

Processes:

Photosynthesis - this is where plants use carbon to carry out their metabolic processes through taking in
carbon dioxide (CO2) with sunlight and water to make sugar and oxygen. Unfortunately, in some countries
like those on the South American continent where the Amazon Rainforest is, people are cutting down too
many trees, causing deforestation, which is affecting the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. If there are
not enough plants to use the CO2, then there is more CO2 in the atmosphere to join other greenhouse gases.

Respiration - this is where animals (like humans and cattle etc) take in oxygen to make glucose and give off
CO2. As time has gone on, there are now more humans and animals on the planet which is contributing more
CO2 into the atmosphere, and so more greenhouse gases.

Burning of fossil fuels - this is where the broken down plants and animals that have died and gone into the
ground have become organic carbon products like coal and gas and oil. Human beings mine these products
and use them to create a source of energy, mainly in vehicles but also in homes for cooking and heating, and
in industries that use them to carry out their production processes. As time has gone on, we have produced
more and more vehicles and larger factories that all use these carbon sources. Unfortunately, when we burn
fossil fuels, carbon and hydrogen react with oxygen in the air to release even more CO2 as a greenhouse gas.

Diffusion of gases from atmosphere into ocean - this is where CO2 from the atmosphere moves to the ocean
and is absorbed by the water and phytoplankton. More absorption happens when the ocean waves are more
active, and less when it is calm. Human beings have affected this by polluting the ocean which has an effect
on the levels of plankton and so less CO2 is absorbed.

Solutions:

Choose Eco-Friendly Transportation:

Human transport adds about 14% to the total greenhouse gas emissions around the world each year, and
cars contribute the most. We can significantly reduce our carbon footprint if we commit to walking, biking, or
taking public transport instead of driving. To do the comparison for 3 kms of travelling:
● By car: 0.88 kg CO2
● Walking: 0.039 kg CO2
● Riding a bike: 0.017 kg CO2
If we switch to greener transport options, we can help reduce CO2 emissions and combat climate change.
Unfortunately though, there are barriers to people adopting these options because everyone is different and
so new ways of transport may not always work or be convenient for everyone. In rural areas where the
infrastructure for public transport is not very good, like the West Coast, or in situations where people have
trouble with their mobility, it might not always be practical to rey on these transport options. And it will be
hard to switch completely if someone’s business relies on them. Last year, a Climate Conference for the UN in
Dubai said that over 30% of companies would be still using fossil fuels until around the 2050s, like steel,
cement, shipping and air travel. Or we could think about switching to hybrid or electric vehicles can also
significantly reduce emissions, because electric cars produce zero emissions from their exhaust pipes so
they produce lower emissions over the whole time they are on the road, compared to vehicles that use fossil
fuels. However, some people say that there are issues with their production, disposal, and battery materials.
Battery manufacture needs enormous amounts of raw and rare materials and also energy. We have not yet
designed sustainable ways to get those materials out of the earth, or recycle and dispose of the batteries
when they are past their date. We need to do more work on how to make these environmentally sustainable.

Eat More Plants:

Animal agriculture adds about 14.5% to the total greenhouse gas emissions around the world each year,
because they produce methane and because we have to deforest to get more pastures and crops to feed
them. Eating more plant-based foods and cutting down how much meat we consume can help lower these
emissions. When we compare them by kilogram, one kilogram of beef contributes about 27 kilograms of CO2,
but the same weight of vegetables only generates about 0.42 kilograms of CO2. We can hugely reduce our
carbon footprint and be part of creating a food system that is much more sustainable in carbon emissions if
we shift towards a plant-based diet. However, there are people who believe that people with special diet
restrictions and needs would not get all the essential nutrients they need for good health from a strict plant
diet. And it is true that the processes farmers use to produce solely plant crops do have impacts on the
environment in different ways, like how much water it takes, and what they do to control pests, so we would
have to work hard to make sure that we get it right.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair:

Everyone has been part of a 4R programme at primary school. If we use the 4 factors (Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle, and Repair) we can really conserve precious resources, lower CO2 gases and reduce our energy
consumption, because producing and disposing of many products contributes approximately 21% of global
CO2 emissions. Here’s some facts - the amount of energy needed to power a TV for 3 hours is the same as
what we save if we recycle ONE aluminium can. If we put waste and scrap paper through a recycling
programme, we reduce nearly 1 and ½ metric tons of CO2, and stop 17 trees getting cut down, which help
remove CO2 from the atmosphere. There are negatives to the 4Rs too though, because even though we think
these processes are straightforward and cost-effective, that is not always true. Recycling uses a lot of energy,
so we may not get the effects we want on the carbon cycle, and we can damage or pollute the environment if
we don’t recycle properly. And there are always going to be products that are really tricky or expensive to
repair and not replace.

Use Clean Energy:

Human activities that use fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas are responsible for about 75% of global
CO2 emissions.We have to commit as a planet to cleaner energy sources like solar and wind power, so that
we stop overloading the carbon cycle and affecting the balance of our climate. More and more people have
decided to switch to using solar energy, and now this clean energy source is responsible for generating
about 3% of global electricity totals. However, it is hard to overcome challenges like storing energy and
making sure that it is reliable. Natural clean energy generation has to rely on the right weather conditions,
like amount of sun during different seasons, so sometimes things like stable supply is hard to achieve.
Renewable energy sources like wind and solar sources have also been criticised by some people because
they can cost a lot to install, and some communities and people just will not be able to afford them.
But if we use renewable energy, we can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and decrease CO2 emissions from
electricity generation.