What’s the big deal about the C-word?

When it comes to green living, it is hard to escape discussing carbon — carbon dioxide, carbon sequestration, carbon footprint, carbon offsets and the list goes on. Carbon is an illusive, often misunderstood element. Without it, there is no life, however, with too much in our atmosphere we are pushing toward disastrous, unmanageable consequences.

All life is made from carbon. We intake carbon in the food we eat, and 18 percent of our bodies are made from carbon. Our oceans, air and plant life depends on it.

We exhale it, we burn it for energy, and we even use it to symbolize our love in the form of diamonds. While most of us could live without diamonds, none of us could live without carbon.

As many of us learned in our science classes, the carbon cycle is a perpetual system, capturing and releasing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and respiration. Since the beginning of planet earth, oceans, trees and landscapes have acted as carbon sinks, sequestering carbon and then releasing it back into the atmosphere.

Carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases trap the heat from the sun within our atmosphere. This perfect balance has kept our home, planet Earth, in a “goldilocks” state of average temperatures — not too hot and not too cold.

So if this is all part of the natural cycle, then why do we so desperately need to reduce our carbon emissions? What changed?

Well, this used to be a flawless system, until we discovered the amazing capabilities of fossil fuel. Dead plants and animals buried under specific conditions of heat and pressure over millions of years turn into fossil fuel. Until the industrial revolution, this coal, gas and oil was safely stored underground.

Once we discovered this rich treasure of concentrated carbon could be used for energy, the race was on. Fossil fuel changed everything.

More energy led to increased production of everything: cars, electronics, toys, plastics and more toys. This increase in production led to an annual rise in consumption. This fossil fuel-based energy system, brought us the convenient, modern lifestyle — a lifestyle our grandparents and great-grandparents never imagined and we couldn’t imagine living without.

Too much of a good thing

Since the industrial revolution, more than two centuries ago, we have added an additional 30 percent more CO2 into the atmosphere, causing global average temperatures to rise. Our oceans are becoming acidic from storing too much CO2, resulting in coral bleaching and dead zones.

Scientific American magazine states that we are continually destroying upwards of 80,000 acres of tropical forest every day. We are on a trajectory that’s momentum cannot be easily reversed, if at all.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, we must reduce our carbon emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050 in order to be able to mitigate the most negative impacts. That means we need to do two things: reduce our consumption and energy use drastically, and change to clean energy as quickly as possible.

Finger pointing and footprints

Whenever there are discussions of responsibility, finger pointing often ensues. On the international level, developing countries often point to advanced nations, such as the U.S., Japan and Europe, to blame for getting us into this mess. Developed nations often point to emerging countries like China and India for their exponential growth, as their middle class multiplies.

No matter who we are or where we live, we are all being impacted by climate change and we are all responsible for reducing our carbon. The first step is to take a realistic account of our carbon emissions.

Calculating our carbon footprint is easy. We can calculate our individual or household footprint by visiting any of the multitude of websites that offer calculators.

My favorite is carbonfootprint.com. It’s thorough and offers a wide range of suggestions for emission reductions.

Carbon taxes and carbon offsets

In order to reduce our CO2 emissions by 80 percent, we will need to take severe action, as individuals, as communities and as a connected global society. One collective action is a carbon tax. Simply put, anything that we consume would be priced based on the amount of carbon emissions.

For example, electricity from fossil fuel would be more expensive than energy from solar or wind. Local whole foods would become a more reasonable food choice and meat would become an occasional luxury. Light rail mass transit would become the affordable choice over gas-powered individual cars.

A carbon tax acts like an incentive toward a carbon neutral future. More than 15 countries have already started a carbon tax and several states in the northeast as well.

Energy companies that are not transitioning away from fossil fuel will fight this kind of scheme tooth and nail, as they have a lot to lose. The fossil fuel industry is the only industry in the world that does not have to clean up its own waste, while still getting 5.3 trillion in subsidies annually.

In addition to carbon fees, citizen action is necessary. One action is offsetting your emissions. This can be as symbolic as buying carbon offsets when you purchase a plane ticket or as tangible as planting trees.

Another action is using your money mindfully. We can vote wisely every day with our dollars. Speaking of voting, if your local, state and federal candidates are not talking about carbon, then ask them why not. As we make changes in our carbon footprint, now is the time to demand that our leaders have plans for reducing carbon emissions as well.

Most of us would like to continue to enjoy the consistency and the pure wonder of this planet without having to sacrifice any conveniences we now enjoy, but that is just not a reality. The truth really is inconvenient. but what choice do we have?

Stay tuned next time for tips on low-cost energy savings, to help you slash your carbon footprint without leaving your home.

Mary Beth Horiai has split her adult life between Japan and Southern Nevada. In Las Vegas, Horiai works for the nonprofit, Green Our Planet. A graduate of UNLV, she was trained as a speaker for The Climate Reality Project and also teaches part-time at College of Southern Nevada. For more information and links to additional resources relating to this column, visit www.driverofchange.net.