by Michelle Reed

Created on: June 22, 2008

Carbon emissions are having an effect on society by causing Global Warming. Global warming is not one precise thing causing problems for our planet; it is a culmination of many factors that when present will create damage. Many people are clueless about what they can do to help fight the growing concern to our planet, and will opt to do nothing for lack of education of the problem.

Solar rays enter and exit our atmosphere every day. These rays work to heat up our planet, if they are not present the Earth would be a floating block of ice. This process is called the Greenhouse Effect. Almost everything on Earth contains carbon. This element is used in many different ways. At the molecular level, this element is very valuable.

Carbon in nature is found in diamonds. The entire gem is a cube structure of only carbon atoms. If you shift the cube to a slant position, you have graphite. Carbon is also ingested every day with consumption of different products like; caffeine, nicotine, aspirin and sugar. Humans contain carbon in our DNA and it is a component of ATP, which is our major energy source. Non-living things contain carbon also.

A typical t-shirt lets off eight times its weight in carbon emissions. Food, fuel and commercial goods also release carbon gases into the atmosphere. This is good for plants and trees. Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere by plants and trees for the process of photosynthesis. As a by-product, the plants and trees release oxygen into the air.

Emissions from different sources are causing an increase in the rate of carbon entering our atmosphere. The burning of our natural resources is creating a high level of emissions. When deforestation (cutting down trees) occurs, there are not as many trees and plants to handle the capacity of increased emissions. The demand for these resources are so high, the continued destruction will not slow down any time soon.

Factories release carbon emissions daily into the atmosphere, their emissions cause a cloud of black soot to settle over the planet. One of the worst places it is landing is on polar ice caps. These ice caps help to reflect solar rays from the Greenhouse Effect back into space. When carbon soot lands on the surfaces of these caps, it causes the rays to be absorbed and create melting.

The automobile industry over time has contributed to the increase in emissions in the form of carbon monoxide. Catalytic converters may help slow the process, but it doesn't eliminate it completely. The

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