Carbon Dictionary

The Beginner's Guide to Carbon Emission Control

Greenhouse Gas

Both naturally occurring and a bi-product of human activity, greenhouse gases act as a sort of insulation for the earth’s atmosphere. Without the warm protective layer that the gases provide, our earth would be uninhabitable because of the freezing temperatures that the atmospheric layers protect us from. However, the current global warming buzz is concerned with the overheating that the earth is currently experiencing. With too many greenhouse gases entering our atmosphere and eating away at our protective shield: The O-zone layer. Carbon Dioxide is the most readily feared greenhouse gas because of the high levels of this gas that are produced annually by human activity on the planet.

Carbon Offsets

Mitigate your own carbon output by incurring monetary penalties that are then used toward Carbon reduction/neutralization projects (tree planting, building 0% emission products, etc).

Carbon Neutral

The practice of operating under a zero carbon output based on the equivalent level of carbon offset inputs.

Carbon Footprint

A measurement of the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by an individual or organization. It is a way of calculating one’s impact on global warming.

Carbon Credits

These are like a tax. The maximum allowable weight of carbon emissions is set by a governing body and organizations operating under this governance can then purchase credits that allow them to pollute within the capped limit.

Emission Trading

When a ceiling is set for carbon emissions within a central authoritative body, carbon credits can be purchased (see carbon credits). These credits can then be traded and purchased within the central governance based on individual emissions needs. Therefore, companies that are able to cut emissions can sell or trade their carbon credits to companies or organizations that pollute more.