Carbon emissions are releases of carbon into the atmosphere as a result of man-made processes such as energy use.   The carbon is then, for the most part, trapped inside the atmosphere, affecting, amongst other things, the natural balance of carbon to oxygen.   From 2000 to 2005 the rate of growth of carbon emissions was four times higher than in the proceeding 10 years, which means that the level of damage is rising sharply.  

The increase of carbon emissions, coupled with mass deforestation around the world is taking us dangerously close to an uncontrollable situation: we are producing unnatural levels of carbon which should be converted into oxygen by trees, but we are also cutting down the trees to sustain our cheap and comfortable lifestyles.   Furthermore, the carbon that is trapped inside the atmosphere is stopping the heat sent to Earth by the Sun from leaving, and this means that the carbon which is trapped inside the atmosphere is causing the earth to heat up in the same way as a greenhouse, a process known as the Greenhouse Effect.

These are some of the effects of carbon emissions and the Greenhouse Effect.

�     Sea level rise � Densely settled coastal plains would become uninhabitable with just a small rise in sea level, which would result from melting of the ice caps

�     Impacts on agriculture � Global warming could have major effects on agricultural productivity

�     Reduction of the ozone layer -�Warming would result in increase high cloud cover in winter, giving chemical reactions a platform in the atmosphere, which could result in depletion of the ozone layer

�     Increased extreme weather � A warmer climate could change the weather systems of the earth, meaning there would be more droughts and floods, and more frequent and stronger storms

�     Spread of diseases � Diseases would be able to spread to areas that were previously too cold for them to survive in

�     Ecosystem change � As with diseases, the range of plants and animals would change, with the net effect of most organisms moving towards the North and South Poles

As you can see, the effects of carbon dioxide emissions could be extremely far reaching and cause major problems. Even a small reduction in household emissions could help to alleviate the problems future generations are likely to face.

The easiest thing for you to do is to calculate your �carbon footprint�, which tells you the effect your everyday actions are having on the environment, how to reduce this and how you can offset it by taking measures such as planting trees.   Please go to http://www.emissionsbank.org  for more information.

See our sections on eco-housing, eco-villages, solar power and wind power to see what other steps you can take to help our environment.