اخیرا اصطلاحات زیست محیطی زیادی را شنیده ایم در حالی که مفهوم دقیق و شفافی از آن‌ها را نمی دانیم. در اینجا اصطلاح » کربن خنثی« و اهمیت آن توضیح داده می شود:احتمالا شما تصور می‌کنید که کربن خنثی یعنی چیزی که دی اکسید کربن در جو آزاد نمی کند. این مفهوم تا اندازه‌ای در تعریف صحیح می‌باشد. ولیکن تعریفی بسیار ساده از موضوع می‌باشد. ممکن است که دی اکسید کربن در اتمسفر آزاد شود و کماکان کربن خنثی باشد ولی زمانی که این اتفاق با کاهش دی اکسید کربن آزاد شده در جای دیگری به تعادل برسد.
What does carbon neutral mean?
Carbon neutral actually refers to the amount of pure carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere when burning materials. Burning these materials can offset the amount of carbon gas emitted through the carbon dioxide stored during their life cycle. In other words, they are “carbon neutral” or “zero carbon” and reduce the carbon load altogether.
Bioplastics, like plant-based disposable containers, are carbon neutral even when burning them releases carbon dioxide. How is this possible? The carbon in bioplastics comes from photosynthesis, in which atmospheric carbon dioxide is stored by the plant and converted into glucose. Glucose can then be converted into more complex molecules such as sugars, starches, oils and proteins. Sugars and starches are easily converted into bioethanol or lactic acid, while oils are converted into biodiesel. Therefore, carbon from the atmosphere is stored in the plant for several months and is returned to the atmosphere twice after the combustion of biofuels. For every gram of carbon dioxide released from the combustion of a bioplastic, one gram was removed from the atmosphere several months ago through photosynthesis. This perfect balance indicates that bioplastics are as carbon neutral as disposable plant-based containers.
Also, the term “carbon neutral” can be used to describe energy that does not lead to the emission of carbon dioxide. For example, solar panels, wind and hydro turbines, which release electricity without emitting carbon dioxide.
Sometimes some companies or organizations plant trees to offset the carbon dioxide released from fossil fuels. This work is not considered carbon neutral because it is a short-term measurement of fossil carbon released into the atmosphere and locked up in the tree. For a practice to be considered completely carbon neutral, the carbon must be locked away for millions of years. Trees can only live for a few hundred years. After they are decomposed or burned, the carbon is returned to the atmosphere twice. However, we have no way of knowing whether people will be able to maintain trees again in the future to sequester carbon.
In short, moving towards a carbon neutral society is a time-consuming process. People can go towards having a carbon neutral society by using the purchase of plant containers, which is considered a type of bioplastic, or by using alternative energies. In cases where avoiding fossil fuel consumption is impossible, people can focus on efficiency to minimize their fossil fuel consumption and use biofuels when they are available. This makes them not have an impact on the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, in other words, it brings them closer to having a carbon neutral society.