EPA to Ban Breathing? Get The Facts about CO2
Carbon Dioxide Explained
In a recent press conference, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson said that in the next few months, carbon dioxide (CO2) will be declared a dangerous pollutant. As Jackson states it, a formal “endangerment finding”will cause the government to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, which will, undoubtedly, help move climate change legislation through Congress.
In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that the government could regulate greenhouse gases that qualify as pollutants and threaten public health. Greenhouse gases, which trap heat within the earth, are major contributors to climate change. In April, the EPA found carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases to be pollutants that could possibly threaten public health.
Some powerful environmental forces, including President Obama and Jackson, would prefer if Congress implements the greenhouse gas limits because, according to Jackson, “it will combine the most efficient, most economy-wide, least costly and least disruptive way to deal with carbon dioxide pollution…We get further faster without top-down regulation.” The EPA is willing to handle the responsibility of regulating greenhouse gases given by the Supreme Court. Jackson says, “Two years is a long time for this country to wait for us to respond to the Supreme Court’s ruling.”
This new regulation will continue to cause opposition from those who do not believe in the dangers of carbon dioxide or climate change. However, CO2 is not just what we produce when we exhale — it is more complex and more damaging to the environment than most Americans really understand.
The issue with too much CO2
Carbon dioxide is required for plants to complete the process of photosynthesis, but too much can cause environmental problems. When CO2 is not captured by plants or other forms, it begins to accumulate in the atmosphere and the oceans. Since the Industrial Revolution, CO2 emissions have significantly increased due to the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other human activities. The Journal of Geophysical Research, even if we halt the emission of all future CO2, the environment will continue to experience climatic issues beyond the year 2100.
The main issue associated with CO2 is its natural ability to cause the Greenhouse Effect. The properties of CO2 allow it to maintain absorbed heat, thus the planet’s atmosphere begins to gradually heat up. As CO2 emissions increase, so does the overall temperature.
The oceans act like a large CO2 sponge. As they absorb the atmospheric trace gas, the gas’ solubility decreases and emits heat into the water. Thus, the oceans’ temperatures begin to rise. Many scientists believe this is the major cause of elevated water temperatures and the decreased sizes of snow compiles; like glaciers, ice patches, and icebergs.
Top Tips to Reducing your CO2 Emissions
- Walk whenever and wherever. You can even ride a bike or use another fuel-less device to get around. Save the environment and get a work out!
- Consider public transportation as opposed to driving by yourself. Most cities have excellent transportation systems, be it by bus or subway and they’re very inexpensive.
- Carpool whenever you can. There is no sense in having multiple people drive in the same direction when you can easily organize a carpooling system. Take turns driving – try this with your co-workers, classmates, family, or friends.
- Weatherization of your home can decrease your bills significantly with just a couple of easy adjustments within the home. Tiny cracks or old windows can let out your heat/cool air increasing the amount of energy you need to replace it. Follow our Sealing and Weatherization tips to get started.
- Eating smarter and locally, buying organic, or growing your own food eliminates the use of harmful pollutants. First get an idea of how and where to make improvements, you can calculate just how much carbon your dietary habits emit into the atmosphere. Use our low carbon diet calculator to get started.
- Use green cleaning products to reduce the amount of pollutants; such as CFC’s which deplete our ozone layer.
- Buy eco-friendly building supplies and build your project green. Lumber production is more often than not unsustainable. Taking down entire forest ecosystems has major effects on the environment from habitat destruction to direct consequences on the atmosphere. Forests act as the lungs for the Earth, inhaling all the CO2 and exhaling the oxygen we need. Protect them.
- Plant a tree or just get yourself a plant – they make wonderful companions, they look good in anyone’s home either inside or out and they willingly suck up all that excess CO2. If held indoors, plants will promote the circulation of good air quality.
- Recycle as much as humanly possible. Recycling or reusing existing products lessens the need to make more products which use up precious resources. This will save resources like plastics and fuel.
- Reduce your overall consumption in your daily life. Buying less of everything means less factories, less trash, and less carbon in the air. Watch this video to get started: The Story of Stuff.
September 2009
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Home CO2 Calculator
October 5th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
While it may be true that all individuals/families need to do as much as possible to reduce their carbon footprint, the real target needs to be the myriad of companies/big businesses/factories that contribute the largest portion of co2 emissions. Legislation should focus on not just a carbon tax for these entities, but an actual requirement for them to develop and use energy sources which result in drastically reduced/zero emissions. Individuals need to consume WAY less than they do; find and purchase used goods, use sites like craigslist and freecycle to buy and sell, creating less of a market for big business to create endless piles of stuff. Sadly, the government eats out of the hand of big business and will cater to them and penalize the individual, unless each and every American citizen chooses to wake up, educate themselves and make their voice heard by their local and national government, not only in standing up for their rights, but in demanding a new paradigm, a new operating basis for our country and the world towards sustainable, ecofriendly living.
October 16th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Wow, why hasn’t this happened earlier?
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:55 pm
i totally agree with erin. the government does benefit from big industry, so i’m afraid unless the epa is dead serious about making a difference, nothing will happen
November 6th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I don’t know, this is strange. What will the EPA do next? Literally, ban breathing? There’s things that must be done, but regulating to the extreme is kind of strange.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I tried the C02 calculator on this site. I’m embarassed that I produce so much C02.