Carbon is talked about more and more lately, especially in the context of sustainability. I have noticed that, while many people use the term carbon (or carbon neutral, carbon positive, carbon offset, carbon credit, carbon footprint, etc.), not many understand what it means. In this instance, carbon usually refers to carbon dioxide which is a combination of carbon and oxygen atoms.
Carbon is a chemical element that is abundant in nature. Carbon compounds or, carbon attached to other elements, are found in an incredible number of things including coal, petroleum, plant and animal tissues.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a naturally occurring carbon compound that is essential for life. Present in the air and water, plants and algae feed on carbon to create new carbon compounds, including more CO2. It’s one of the most essential life cycles!
After the industrial revolution, man-made processes began to release CO2 into the environment at a faster pace than it could be naturally absorbed back by nature. With an unprecedented amount lingering in our atmosphere, this has created a timing issue for the reabsorption. Even if we could halt all carbon dioxide emissions right now, the Earth would need years to reset to natural levels.
This is why it is so urgent to act and reduce or offset, CO2 emissions now. Governments, industries, and individuals all need to be committed to understanding this process and doing their part to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. Each of us at The Spearhead Group are committed to being mindful and reducing the environmental impact of the products we offer. We pledge to partner with like-minded suppliers and manufacturers to keep improving our sustainability practices, project by project.