Rising CO2 levels. Do we really need to worry?
In the UK, the average person’s CO2 emissions are around 11 tonnes each year. CO2 emissions are produced when fossil fuels such as coal and oil are burnt. The more we use, the more CO2 is created. Driving to work, cooking the family dinner and even watching television all contribute to our carbon footprint.
30 million tonnes of CO2 are pumped into the atmosphere every year
But why should we worry? As former chief scientific advisor to the government, David JC MacKay says: “If CO2 had no harmful effects, then carbon emissions wouldn’t matter. However, CO2 is a greenhouse gas… and it has a warming effect.”
As CO2 emissions increase, they build up in the atmosphere and trap heat, acting as a blanket. As more layers are added to the blanket, the Earth begins to heat up, hence the term, global warming.
The Earth’s temperature has risen by 0.4C since the 1970s
This might not sound like a lot, but if this rise continues, ice caps and glaciers may melt faster causing more water to flow into the oceans.
Global sea levels have already risen by 10cm in the last 50 years. Scientists are still unsure as to how quickly our waters might continue to rise, but the latest predictions suggest that they could rise by one metre this century.
An increase in CO2 emissions may lead to extreme weather changes
As sea levels rise, the risk of floods has increased too. This is especially bad news for low-lying countries like Egypt, Bangladesh and Thailand.
At the opposite end of the scale, droughts are now twice as common as they were in 1970. Severe heat waves may be more likely to occur too. Globally, these changes could put billions of lives at risk.
Mother nature is struggling to cope
As the oceans’ temperatures rise, it makes them less able to absorb CO2 and slow down global warming. This causes the acidity level to rise, and as pH levels decrease, the delicate balance of marine life is disturbed.
The European Project on Ocean Acidification (EPOCA) claims that this is now happening at a greater speed than has ever been seen before.
How bleak is the picture?
There are some things that can’t be changed: because of the delayed impact between emissions and temperature change, even if all greenhouse gas emissions stopped tomorrow, it is believed that we may already be locked into a global temperature rise of at least 1.4C.
But logic tells us that carrying on at the rate we are can’t help
Governments are doing their bit: The UK government has set a long-term goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050.
Renewable energy sources such as solar panels, wind turbines and geothermal energy (extracted from heat stored in the earth) are already being used.
Each and every one of us can reduce the impact of CO2 emissions
Insulating your loft can cut up to 800kg of CO2 emissions a year. Taking showers not baths could save up to 30kg of CO2 emissions.
If every household in the UK did just these two things, our personal carbon emissions would already begin to reduce. A pretty good start.
Five more easy steps to lower your carbon footprint
- Boiling your kettle with just the amount of water you need could help save up to 28kg of CO2 emissions a year
- Turning the lights off when you leave a room could help save 24kg a year
- Washing your clothes at 30C, rather than at higher temperatures, could help save up to 44kg a year
- Turning appliances off instead of leaving them on standby could help save up to 126kg a year
- Fitting energy saving light bulbs could help save up to 135kg a year
Team Green Britain and London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Ltd (LOCOG) do not endorse any of the products, companies, organisations, opinions or websites that have been mentioned in this article. The content of this article has merely been provided as background to, or discussion on, various topical issues relating to the environment and it is not necessarily representative of the views of Team Green Britain and LOCOG. Further, any figures and calculations noted in this article are estimates (unless otherwise specified), and may vary in light of numerous factors and readers are advised to undertake their own research in relation to the facts and figures applicable to their particular circumstance.