What Is Carbon Neutrality? How Does Coal Affect the Environment?

 We all know it is carbon but how about carbon neutrality? Here you will learn about what it means and how coal affects the environment.

Many people and companies have taken the necessary steps to become carbon neutral. Carbon neutrality or "net zero emission" is a term used to describe a company, service or product whose carbon emissions are offset by reducing them elsewhere in the world. 

 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that helps warm our planet. Without CO2, land temperatures would drop so low that the oceans freeze. On the contrary, excess CO2 can harm the environment. In 2019, the global surface had the average that became the second warmest temperature with an increase of 0.98 degrees Celsius on average between the years 1951 and 1980.   

Carbon emissions not only contribute to rising temperatures, but also to the oceans. Much of the excess CO2, around 30% diffuses into the ocean creating carbonic acid and increasing the acidity of the water.

Acidic water can dissolve the carbonate layers of marine organisms, while warm water can decrease the amount of phytoplankton that grows best in cold water. With a decrease in phytoplankton, coral reefs cannot grow and flourish. Our coral reefs are vital to marine life, providing shelter and food while producing much of our oxygen.