C vs CO2

So here’s an important distinction…

Carbon (C) and Carbon Dioxide (CO²) are really different.

CO² can trap heat, which contributes to global warming. Some CO² in the air is actually great – it’s how Earth created the perfect conditions for life to happen… but you can have too much CO².

Carbon on it’s own doesn’t trap heat, it has to combine with water (O²) to do that. Carbon is actually the fourth most abundant chemical element in the observable universe, and a key building block for almost everything on Earth, including us.

Yes – it’s a bit of an okay, whatever semantics thing, but this distinction is not always clear when folks talk about climate topics.

So when people say “carbon in the air causes climate change”, that’s wrong – carbon dioxide does.

In terms like “carbon accounting” and “low carbon footprint”, the word carbon is often used as shorthand because I guess “Carbon Dioxide Accounting” doesn’t have that same flow about it.

Easy to think that carbon is the problem.

Carbon = building block of life.

Carbon Dioxide = stuff that traps heat and contributes to a warming climate.