February 1, 2007

Carbon? Huh? What Ever Happened To Carbon Dioxide?

by Piers Fawkes

In an opinion piece I wrote for the Club Of Pioneers I wonder why the word carbon is replacing ‘carbon dioxide’ and the greenhouse gases as the bad guy in environmentalism. Excerpt:

Something odd is happening in the eco-lexicon and I’m not too sure I like it too much. Carbon Dioxide is being replaced by the word Carbon in messaging and I’m not too sure I’m that happy about using a simpler phrase that’s scientifically incorrect.

I noticed the use of the word Carbon in a video that a PR person from Dell had sent me a link to. It’s a clip from the computer people to suggest that we should all plant trees. In the clip a voiceover warns us that using computers is killing the world: we’re all producing ‘carbon’ by wiggling our mouses the video warns us.

Carbon?! What happened to carbon dioxide?? Find out where by reading the post here: Club Of Pioneers

Article categories: Environmental, Ethical Consumerism, Science

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4 Responses to “Carbon? Huh? What Ever Happened To Carbon Dioxide?”

  1. John Voelcker
    Posted from: 141.157.199.78

    February 2nd, 2007 at 6:19 am

    Nice piece, and an interesting evolution that I’d totally missed.

    But I’m not sure “carbon dioxide” sounds more toxic to me … “carbon” is big and black and heavy, whereas we all know CO2 is a gas. The former seems more … dangerous? doom-laden?

  2. Tomorrow's Playground
    Posted from: 220.101.177.213

    February 2nd, 2007 at 7:07 am

    A good point raised. I suppose “Carbon” just fits better and is more user friendly for all the Co’s that want to show themselves as being the ever so popular “Carbon Neutral” etc recently. (A whole new discussion). Removing the term “Dioxide” is making it a somewhat “cleaner” phrase. Forgive the pun!

  3. Ross Evans
    Posted from: 202.169.19.40

    June 5th, 2007 at 11:25 pm

    “Carbon” can also refer to methane [C-H4] which is produced from anaerobic decomposition - it is a far more serious greenhouse gas than CO2

  4. Ross Evans
    Posted from: 202.169.19.40

    June 5th, 2007 at 11:25 pm

    “Carbon” can also refer to methane [C-H4] which is produced from anaerobic decomposition - it is a far more serious greenhouse gas than CO2

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