False Solutions
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas found naturally in Earth’s atmosphere. It is also a byproduct of industrial processes and burning . The release of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere is the primary driver of . The rise in average global temperature is directly proportional to concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, measured […]
Carbon Neutrality
Carbon neutrality refers to balancing the CO2 emissions of an activity, business or country by removing an equal amount of emissions from the atmosphere. It is achieved via , which uses different methods, such as tree-planting or renewable energy projects, all of which have been criticized as ineffective. The debate around carbon neutrality Anthropogenic activities […]
Circular Carbon Economy
A framework to manage and reduce carbon emissions that was proposed and promoted by Saudi Arabia when it hosted the G20 summit in 2020. It resembles the 3R model (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and adds further elements to it, such as and . While the basic assumption is correct and necessary, namely that carbon can and […]
Greenwashing
A marketing trick corporations and governments resort to in order to convince others that they are environmentally responsible or that they produce environmentally friendly goods. The term is also applied to companies that claim to care for the environment while their activities and practices prove the contrary.
Low Carbon
A term promoted by corporations to convince people that it’s impossible to reach zero carbon emissions, while in fact it is an urgent necessity to stop . It is an attempt to undermine pressures against the business of these corporations. Sometimes, nuclear and other questionable energy sources hide behind the term.
Offsetting
Compensating carbon dioxide/ greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in a certain place by removing equal amounts of emissions from the atmosphere in a different place. There are serious problems with most offsetting approaches. Climate activists are against this idea because it helps polluters buy their way out of responsibility. Enabling more fossil fuel emissions […]
Run-Away Climate Change
Run-away climate change refers to that “feeds on itself” through amplifying feedback where the impacts of heating cause further heating. The easiest way to visualize it is to imagine a line of domino pieces – when the first one tips over, it leads to the next one falling and so on. Once started, it is […]
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