A Bauhaus Carbon Encyclopedia
The biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of Earth. Carbon moves through these reservoirs in a complex series of chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes spanning milliseconds to millions of years.
A natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores carbon-containing chemical compounds for an indefinite period. The primary natural sinks are the absorption of carbon dioxide by the oceans and photosynthesis by land-based plants and algae. Forests, soil, and oceanic systems serve as the planet's principal carbon repositories.
The total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, place, or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent. It encompasses both direct emissions from fossil-fuel combustion and indirect emissions from the full lifecycle of products consumed, including manufacturing, transport, and disposal.
The reduction or elimination of carbon dioxide emissions from energy production and industrial processes. Decarbonization strategies encompass electrification of transport, renewable energy deployment, energy efficiency improvements, carbon capture technologies, and systemic transformation of industrial value chains toward net-zero operation.
The long-term removal, capture, or sequestration of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to slow or reverse atmospheric CO2 accumulation. Methods include biological processes such as afforestation and soil carbon management, geological storage in deep underground formations, and oceanic absorption through enhanced weathering and alkalinity.
A tradeable certificate or permit representing the right to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide or its equivalent greenhouse gas. Carbon credits form the basis of emissions trading schemes, allowing organizations to offset their emissions by purchasing credits generated through verified reduction or removal projects elsewhere in the global economy.
The state of achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by balancing the amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset. Organizations and nations pursue carbon neutrality through a combination of emissions reduction measures, renewable energy adoption, efficiency gains, and investment in carbon offset projects.
A market-based approach to controlling pollution by providing economic incentives for reducing emissions. Under a cap-and-trade system, a central authority sets a limit on the total amount of certain greenhouse gases that can be emitted. Companies receive emission allowances which they can trade, creating a financial incentive for emission reduction.
A systematic reference for the carbon age.