3.2 Carbon dioxide

“When the Earth is ravaged and the animals are dying, a new tribe of people shall come unto the Earth from many colors, classes, creeds and who by their actions and deeds shall make the Earth green again.

They will be known as the warriors of the rainbow”.

Unknown old native American Prophecy

In my previous text in this category, there was a claim that;

“greenhouse gases and CO2 emission are what is really pushing our natural ecosystems, while we are emitting more gases than Earths ecosystems can absorb. Our carbon footprint accounts for 60 % of our impact on the environment and these emissions are what is causing humanity going into ecological debt” [1]

Whether this claim is correct or not, I do not find myself qualified enough to argue about. But I do find, that more knowledge about the greenhouse gases, CO2 emissions and carbon footprint is a good starting point for me to learn more about on how to protect Mother Nature.

Before continuing my writing on this post, I have to say that it has been really difficult for me to write. Both because it is a huge and complex topic. But also because there is a lot of different numbers and definitions on the great internet. This is due to different ways of calculations of the emissions on both Greenhouse gasses and CO2 emission. I can therefore only recommend that you do your own research, both on the topic and regarding to the numbers. None the less, for me the most important thing with this post is to get some knowledge of this subject and an understanding of how I as one person can make a difference.

The greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect

The greenhouse gases are a layer of gasses in the atmosphere that catches the sun’s energy and keeps the earth warm enough to support all life on it. They can be divided into four main categories. The first one is CO2 (Carbon dioxide) and in Denmark in 2020 it was calculated to be almost 70 % of the total greenhouse gases emission. The second one is Methane with 16 %, Nitrous oxide 13 % and F- gases 1 %[2].

In the drawing you can see that the first part of it, is an illustration of the greenhouse effect. The grey line is greenhouse gases caught in the atmosphere, and the orange line coming from the sun is the Solar energy from the sun rays. Some of the heat energy is being reflected by the skies and Earth’s surface, back out through the atmosphere. The red arrow illustrates the heat caught by the layers of the greenhouse gases, between the earth and the atmosphere and this is what is causing the global temperatures to rise[3].

(The illustrations are taken from the book Dan Hooke, Klimaforandringer, forlaget Globe (2020))

Carbon dioxide and the Carbon Circuit

The greenhouse gas with the highest emission caused by humanity is CO2 (Carbon dioxide), which as earlier mentioned had been calculated to be both 60 – 70 %. This is a lot, especially when you take into consideration that CO2 does not break down in the atmosphere, it stays.

Carbon dioxide can naturally be found in nature as a part of the natural carbon circuit[4]. Which is a complicated circuit that flows through the atmosphere, the oceans, the plants, the animal life and the rocks[5]. C02 is being exchanged through the air, the oceans and Mother Natures different ecosystems, through natural processes. If you look at my drawing again, the natural carbon circuit is shown with the yellow and orange arrows. The orange arrows are the CO2 added to the atmosphere through natural processes, these are;

- Oceans release: The living organisms’ respiration in the sea.

- Respiration from the plants and animals (breathing), but also natural arisen forest fires, are in this category.

- Activities from volcanos.

But like with anything else in nature, the natural emissions of CO2 have had a perfect balance through time[6]. Because the yellow arrows are natures natural way of removing CO2 from the atmosphere. It is the oceans and plants absorption of it. They are called carbon storages, because they store more CO2 (the trees through the photosynthesis and the oceans through its microorganism[7] and its seaweed forests[8]) than they are sending out to the atmosphere[9].

But since the industrial time, human activities have created an increase in the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere and these are in my drawing the red arrows;

Deforestation, agriculture, transport, industry, flying and household.

The CO2 emissions from these are causing, that the natural balance of CO2 emission is getting more and more unstable and creating more warm temperatures, heatwaves, droughts, destruction of the oceans due to acidification, sea level rising because of the ice that is melting, more extreme weather, forests fires, loses of homes and habitats for both humans and animals.

I just finally understand why CO2 emissions are so discussed when it comes to climate changes. Because at the moment, there is no way of getting rid of the CO2 caused by us humans. And at the same time, we seem to have no problem in reducing our natural carbon storages by deforestation, while we are continuing to increase our CO2 emissions. I once saw a quote that said:

“How is it possible that the most intellectual creature to ever walk the planet Earth

is destroying its only home?”

Jane Goodall

And it really sums up the feelings that I am sitting with at the moment after studying this subject. It almost feels like a future doomsday is just around the corner and yet tomorrow I will go and live my life exactly as I use to, because what can little me do?

Carbon footprint

This is where the term “carbon footprint” can give us some guidance. A carbon footprint is a measurement of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gasses that are released from human activity or accumulated from a product and a service full life cycle. It is usually calculated in CO2 equivalents[10] based out from the emissions from a person’s lifestyle specified per year[11].

I found this article from a Danish media that was written in 2021[12] where a Danish environmental organization said that the CO2e pr. Dane was 17 ton. Per World citizen it is 6 tons and in order for us to limit the global warming each world citizen has to reduce their CO2 emissions to 2-3 ton by 2050[13]. So, for me as Dane, there is a long way to go.

The 17 ton of CO2e per Dane is divided into 6 categories:

- Common national emissions 5 tons

- Consumers goods 4,5 tons

- Food and drinks 3 tons

- Domestic energy 2,5 tons

- Service and communication 1 tons

- Air traveling 1 tons

The 6 categories of a Danes CO2 emissions and ideas for how to reduce the impact on them.

1. Common national emissions 5 tons

Are emissions from public consumption (such as schools, childcare institutions, hospitals, policy, defense, ministries) infrastructure (roads, bridges, public transport water supply, district heating network, fibre network, high voltage power cables, energy waste in the energy supply) production and other things we are all using in society[14].

As one person it is difficult to bring these emissions down by changing one’s own consumption. Unless all the Danes decides to become self- sufficient in most areas and step outside of the Danish society, so that it collapses, but I doubt that will happen.

One could choose not to use some of the public offers, such as schools, childcare institutions and nursing homes and take society’s roles as caregivers back to the homes. In Denmark we see it more and more that people chose to keep their children at home and homeschool them. But it takes a good solid economy to do this, and not everybody has the money for this choice.

Since it is primarily the state, the regions and the municipalities, that can do something about these emissions, one can affect the politics and vote for politicians that support a green transition on our society’s common consumption.

2. Consumers goods 4,5 tons

These emissions are from the production of physical goods such as clothes, housing, furniture, computer, mobile phones etc. These goods are often produced outside of the Danish borders on polluting factories. Hereafter they are transported with plane or ship across the globe and both production and transport emit greenhouse gases[15].

Living in this world means that one will always be a consumer in some way or another in order to survive. But the further away from Mother Nature we have come, the bigger consumers and the more polluted the world becomes. I think that this is why a lot of us are longing for a life more in tune with nature, because we know that without nature, we will wither. But in a modern society, where most of us are alienated from mother nature, it is difficult to see what to do to help. Here are a few ideas:

1. Ask yourself “is it a want or a need? Just try for a period of time to only buy the necessities such as food, things for laundry and personal hygiene.

2. Use what you have. Instead of buying new things, try and see if you can’t find something in your household that with some creative thinking could meet the same need, as the thing you want to purchase.

3. Buy fever things and at a high quality, so that it can last longer.

4. Buy used stuff.

5. Borrow from family and friends.

6. Stop buying single use products all together

3. Food and drinks 3 tons

Emissions from private consumption of food and drinks. We can’t survive without food and drinks, but to produce food and beverage takes a lot of ressources and emits a lot CO2 emission[16]. A few things one can do to reduce one’s personal emission is:

1. Cut down or drop meat and dairy products

The huge emission in this post is partly due to the global meat and dairy industry. While a lot of deforestation is happening to make room for cattle farming and growing soya for livestock feed. But also, because cattle emit a great deal of both methane and CO2. The Danish people is the most meat-eating people in the world, and eats around 146 kilo meat per citizen a year[17] and we use over 130 liters of dairy products per person a year[18].

2. Stop foodwaste

Furthermore 1/3 of all our food is thrown out[19], which means that a lot of emission could have been avoided if we were better to avoid food waste.

3. Don’t buy food and drinks in plastic

A lot of our food are wrapped in plastic and our drinks/beverage comes in plastic bottles, and plastic is fossil fuels that have large emission of CO2 as well.

4. Buy locally

A lot of food in the supermarket has been flown to Denmark from South and Central America, Asia and Afrika, which causes a high emission on CO2. So therefore, it is best to buy local produced food products to reduce the products CO2 impact[20].

5. Eat in season

The seasons in the supermarket has nearly been wiped out, because of the import of vegetables and fruits from other countries. One might be able to get Danish produced vegetables and fruits out of season, but then they probably have been produced in a greenhouse. And the greenhouse needs a lot of energy for heating and lightning and energy production emits CO2. So buy the fruits and vegetables in season, because it is more climate friendly[21].

4. Domestic energy 2,5 tons

Are emissions from the fossil fuels we burn off ourselves (oil and natural gas for domestic heating or fuel for the car) and the energy we purchase (electricity and district heating).

As a person with a household one can:

1. Shift to renewable energi ressources such as wind or water

2. Reduce the personal use of energy in the household, like

- turn the electrical products completely off, when they are not in use

- turn down the heat in the house

- wash your clothes on lower temperatures

- avoid using the drying machine

- put a lid on your pot while in use

- use energy efficient light bulbs

3. Leave the car at home and use either the bike or public transport when you can.

4. If you can afford it, buy and electric car [22]

5. Service and communication 1 tons

Emissions related to going to the cinema, to the hairdresser to restaurants. This category also includes insurance, newspapers, communication routes, media, subsidies for NGO’s etc.[23]

I have found it difficult to find where one could save in this category and the organization Concito, that made these categories actually recommend that one is spending more money in this category on services if this means that a person will then spend less money on buying consumers good. I am interpreting that communication routes means the use of internet[24]. In a Danish society like the Danish one, it is getting more and more difficult to live without the internet, so the only thing I can come up with in this category is to use it less, while it is taking a lot of energy to keep it going through datacenters.

Air travel 1 tons

Emissions from private holiday travel by air. (work-related flying is under the product that is produced, whether this is a good or a public service).[25]

One of the things to do here, is to stop flying all together and find vacation destinations that one could get too with more CO2 neutral transport. If this is not an option one could pay for CO2 compensation, where one donate an appropriate sum of money to climate protection projects that reduce CO2 emissions. It could be planting trees or building wind turbines.

As I read through these tips on what one can do in order to reduce their own CO2 emissions, I must admit, that these things are not new to me. In fact, I have been hearing quite a lot about them since 2018, but I have still failed to incorporate any of them in my own life. Except maybe for the flying category. I haven’t been on a flight for 10 years and it is not because I hadn’t had the money for it, it has just not been a priority of mine. But I have to say that it is alarming to me, how we as humanity keep emitting CO2 and at the same time are destroying the natural carbon storages. It is simply time to do something.

[1] https://youmatter.world/en/earth-overshoot-day-europe-carbon-28450/

[2] Udledning af drivhusgasser (xn--miljtilstand-yjb.nu)

[3] Dan Hooke, Klimaforandringer, forlaget Globe (2020)

[4] Kulstofkredsløbet - Læs om kulstofkredsløbet og kulstof (C) (experimentarium.dk)

[5] Kuldioxid - NOAH's klimasider (global-klima.org)

[6] Drivhusgasserne (global-klima.org)

[7] Klimaændringer påvirker havets evne til at binde CO2 - DTU Aqua

[8] Vigtigt og overset redskab mod global opvarmning: Havets skove indfanger CO₂ (videnskab.dk)

[9] Dan Hooke, Klimaforandringer, forlaget Globe (2020)

[10] CO2equivalents are conversion factors that compares different greenhouse gases effect on the greenhouse effect. It has been calculated how many tons of CO2, there has to be in order to create the same effect as a ton of another gas. This number is then the gas’s CO2 equivalent.

[11] http://klimaleksikon.dk/opslag/klimaaftryk

[12] Hvis verden levede som Danmark, ville klimaet ligge i ruiner, siger eksperter - TV 2

[13] Hvor meget CO2 udledte dine oldeforældre? - Syddansk Universitet (sdu.dk)

[14] Report from Concito 2010

[15] Hvad kan man selv gøre? | CONCITO

[16] Hvad kan man selv gøre? | CONCITO

[17] Mindsk dit klimaaftryk og gør noget ved klimaforandringer - Verdens Skove

[18] http://www.dr.dk/nyheder/viden/klima/faktatjek-er-plantedrik-bedre-klimaet-end-maelk

[19] Mindsk dit klimaaftryk og gør noget ved klimaforandringer - Verdens Skove

[20] Hvad kan man selv gøre? | CONCITO

[21] Hvad kan man selv gøre? | CONCITO

[22] Mindsk dit klimaaftryk og gør noget ved klimaforandringer - Verdens Skove