carbonoffsetting digital features Virgin Media

Almost everything involving transportation or energy use produces carbon dioxide. Things we take for granted such as lighting, heating, cooling, and the manufacture of goods – all these use electricity which has been created by the combustion of gas, oil, or coal.

So carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2), has been put in the atmosphere that wouldn't otherwise be there had these things never been done.

Carbon offsetting is the process of neutralising the amount of CO2 put into the atmosphere by finding ways of taking it out again.

So the question is does it work?
Well not that simply. Global warming is happening because too much CO2 has been put in the atmosphere. This weakens the ability of the earth's natural carbon sinks to soak up more CO2, which means more is kept in the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases trap UV rays which then again contribute to global warming.

At present the earth’s carbon sinks absorb only about half of all human carbon emissions which means that there is much more CO2 in the atmosphere than there should be.

What actually are these carbon sinks?
Forests, as well as soils, oceans and the atmosphere store carbon. Consequently, these can act as sinks, or even sources, at different times. Sinks soak up more carbon than they emit, while sources release more carbon than they absorb.

The concept of a carbon sink is based upon the natural ability of a tree, plant and the soil to soak up CO2. The problem is the carbon stored in fossil fuel deposits that have been, and are still being burned. These are not part of the natural carbon cycle and since the beginning of the industrial revolution greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have soared to over 30% as fossil fuels from these ancient carbon sinks have been burned.

Existing carbon sinks
Long-term studies have found signs that existing carbon sinks may be losing their effectiveness in absorbing CO2. The Amazon accounts for more than half of the world's remaining rainforests but changes in its make-up are being reported as it feeds off huge levels of worldwide CO2. Bigger, less effective species of tree are taking hold which could alter its effectiveness as a carbon sink in the near future.

The Southern Ocean around Antarctica is also seeing changes. To date it accounts for about 15% of the earth's total carbon sinks, but reports of increasing winds over the Southern Ocean off Antarctica and its associated turbulence, which itself is caused by greenhouse gases and ozone depletion, is leading to the release of stored CO2 into the atmosphere and may also prevent further absorption of CO2.

So what can be done to offset all this excess CO2 that is in the atmosphere?

Read page two.

29th June 2007