Of the one hundred and eighteen elements in the periodic table, Carbon has been getting a lot of bad publicity these days. On a daily basis we're told that the carbon dioxide levels in the air are rising, and this is leading to Global Warming and climate change. But where is all this extra carbon coming from?
Most of you probably know what i'm going to say, but I'll say it anyway.
Carbon is a pretty basic element. It's what you and I are made of. It's what sugar is made of.
Plants are the only organisms that are capable of trapping that carbon into a more compressed form. So essentially we have the same amount of carbon as before, but through burning fossil fuels and cutting down trees, we've released it into the air.
Besides trapping the sun's heat and making our planet warmer, carbon also competes with oxygen in our lungs, and reduces the amount of oxygen that our body efficiently absorbs, each time we take a breath.
So, what can we do about this?
For starters, you could be vegetarian for one day or week, or more. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to make one pound of beef. From growing crops to feed the cows, to actually raising the cows, slaughtering them, processing the meat and getting it to your plate. That's 20 times the amount of water needed to produce one pound of grains and pulses.
So by cutting our meat and animal products intake, slowly we can reduce the amount of livestock that is raised, and some of that land can be used to grow trees and make forests - helping us trap some of that carbon into a compact form.
Try to be vegetarian or vegan for just a little while, or one day a week, or whatever is convenient for you, and help make a difference. :)
Most of you probably know what i'm going to say, but I'll say it anyway.
Carbon is a pretty basic element. It's what you and I are made of. It's what sugar is made of.
Plants are the only organisms that are capable of trapping that carbon into a more compressed form. So essentially we have the same amount of carbon as before, but through burning fossil fuels and cutting down trees, we've released it into the air.
Besides trapping the sun's heat and making our planet warmer, carbon also competes with oxygen in our lungs, and reduces the amount of oxygen that our body efficiently absorbs, each time we take a breath.
So, what can we do about this?
For starters, you could be vegetarian for one day or week, or more. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to make one pound of beef. From growing crops to feed the cows, to actually raising the cows, slaughtering them, processing the meat and getting it to your plate. That's 20 times the amount of water needed to produce one pound of grains and pulses.
So by cutting our meat and animal products intake, slowly we can reduce the amount of livestock that is raised, and some of that land can be used to grow trees and make forests - helping us trap some of that carbon into a compact form.
Try to be vegetarian or vegan for just a little while, or one day a week, or whatever is convenient for you, and help make a difference. :)
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