The banner “Carbon – The Building Block of Life” fluttered gently above the stage. Great Grandmother Carbon (C) took her place at the podium. “Welcome to this year’s convention,” she hailed. “Look around you at this remarkable planet! We carbon compounds have been instrumental in helping populate it with abundant life.
“As you know, our compounds take many different forms. This has caused confusion in some members of the human population. It’s a troubling case of mistaken identity. With our reputation as life’s central building block, some humans mistakenly assume more carbon anywhere must be a good thing. Clearly, that’s not the case,” she continued while eyeing several of the most common carbon compounds including carbon monoxide (CO), chloroform (CHCl3), acetylene (C2H2), and methane (CH4).
“While it’s certainly not your fault dear,” Grannie continued and looked directly at Carbon Dioxide (CO2), “the issue centers around you.” CO2 blushed as Grannie continued. “Some humans confuse your overabundance in the atmosphere (50% more than 200 years ago) with the benefits of having more of me (C) in the soil.”
The on-stage screen lit up with a list of the benefits of Carbon (C) in the soil:
“An overabundance of CO2 in the atmosphere does enhance some plant growth in certain conditions. But dearie, I’m afraid any benefits are greatly outweighed by the damage that is already so evident.” A new slide appeared concerning excessive atmospheric CO2.
“We know you’ve meant no harm, dearie,” Grannie smiled. “Humans just can’t ignore the fact that the fuels they choose to use DO make a difference. Otherwise, they’re jeopardizing the ways of life they’ve known for generations on the only home they’ll ever know. After all, this bountiful planet is where they’re all forever… Earthbound.”
“As you know, our compounds take many different forms. This has caused confusion in some members of the human population. It’s a troubling case of mistaken identity. With our reputation as life’s central building block, some humans mistakenly assume more carbon anywhere must be a good thing. Clearly, that’s not the case,” she continued while eyeing several of the most common carbon compounds including carbon monoxide (CO), chloroform (CHCl3), acetylene (C2H2), and methane (CH4).
“While it’s certainly not your fault dear,” Grannie continued and looked directly at Carbon Dioxide (CO2), “the issue centers around you.” CO2 blushed as Grannie continued. “Some humans confuse your overabundance in the atmosphere (50% more than 200 years ago) with the benefits of having more of me (C) in the soil.”
The on-stage screen lit up with a list of the benefits of Carbon (C) in the soil:
- better soil aggregation, enhancing water infiltration and reducing erosion
- higher organic matter that can store more water
- support for robust root systems, leading to improved plant productivity
- fostering diverse microbial communities
“An overabundance of CO2 in the atmosphere does enhance some plant growth in certain conditions. But dearie, I’m afraid any benefits are greatly outweighed by the damage that is already so evident.” A new slide appeared concerning excessive atmospheric CO2.
- as a greenhouse gas, trapping excessive heat from the sun
- glacial melting causing sea level rise that will potentially flood coastal areas
- more frequent and intense extreme weather events like hurricanes, droughts, floods, and heatwaves.
- disruption of ecosystems, leading to species extinction and changes in plant and animal distribution.
- negative impact on food security
- ocean acidification
“We know you’ve meant no harm, dearie,” Grannie smiled. “Humans just can’t ignore the fact that the fuels they choose to use DO make a difference. Otherwise, they’re jeopardizing the ways of life they’ve known for generations on the only home they’ll ever know. After all, this bountiful planet is where they’re all forever… Earthbound.”
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