The possibility of going beyond just being carbon neutral
With all the discussions happening about measuring the carbon footprints in the scientific world and moving towards becoming carbon neutral, a common question that arises is: Is it possible to go beyond just being carbon neutral and transform into being carbon negative? It is a reasonable question to ask as offsets are being utilised to reduce the quantity of carbon that an individual or a particular organisation emits. Also, is it really possible to reach a level where carbon-negative emissions are a reality? The answers to this could not be as direct and a straight cut to be a yes or a no. There are several ways in which carbon emissions can be reduced right from the source point. However, issues prevail when it comes to accurately defining what being carbon neutral and then further, carbon-negative is.
Aiming for carbon neutrality
Both carbon-negative and carbon-neutral are on one single plane and run parallelly, wherein one term utilises slightly higher offsets as compared to the other. In practice, an organisation or a person can be carbon neutral if they choose not to use anything from the carbon cycle, even for the shortest span of time. This is, however, impossible to achieve in reality as simply riding a bicycle also has a carbon footprint that is in association with the very initial phase of bike manufacture. This contributes to an individual’s personal carbon footprint. Similarly, a food item that is being shipped using a particular method that is partially carbon-free will surely have a carbon footprint that is associated with it. Fortunately, the carbon footprint of opting for transportation methods like riding a bicycle is minimal as compared to the other modes of transport and opting for more sustainable options makes it considerably easier to reduce the carbon footprint and then furthermore, aim for being carbon neutral.
Conclusion
Taking one step ahead towards offsetting greater than what an individual emits in terms of the carbon footprint is the actual difference between being carbon negative and carbon neutral. Therefore, in the present time, it is nearly impossible to be entirely carbon neutral. However, C6 Energy’s Graphene battery technology is envisioning the revolution of battery technology by being completely carbon-neutral, causing no harm to the environment and instead of contributing to a clean, green and sustainable environment.