Carbon neutrality

Actions and processes by which greenhouse gases, eg CO2 are released, have a climate change reinforcing, ie climate- damaging effect. In contrast, acts or processes in which such release does not occur or the end part of the compensation for the non- release avoided without the air influencing effect; they are referred to as carbon neutral. Differences in the expansive horizontal, small-scale horizontal, vertical and temporal distribution of climate-relevant gases in the atmosphere have neglected for simplicity.

The most consistent form of climate-neutral energy use is the use of greenhouse gas- free energy sources such as solar, wind and hydro energy. Also the use of herbal, non-fossil fuels ( such as bioethanol, rapeseed oil ) is considered carbon neutral because the growth of plants (equivalent to CO2 removal from the air), the release of CO2 during their decomposition or combustion and regrowth of the same large amount of plants constitute a closed circuit through which the CO2 concentration in the air is not significantly changed. To carbon neutrality of wood pellets s non- fossil fuels.

Since only the total amount of greenhouse gases is critical to the extent of global warming in the atmosphere, actions and processes can be also made ​​even more climate- neutral if, in their implementation of greenhouse gas releases have not been avoided or could not be avoided (yet). On the one hand this is possible by an appropriately dimensioned emission avoidance in another place (eg by co-financing of a project to produce renewable energy), so by technical compensation. Similarly, a biotic compensation is possible: It is somewhere on the earth causes an additional afforestation, whose surface shall be such that the newly growing trees have removed a quantity of CO2 the air after eg 10 years, to the compensating CO2 emission quantity.

To achieve the desired climate neutrality comprehensive balances and checks are in all compensatory measures necessary to be able to ensure that on a technical or biotic way accounted for CO2 compensation amount actually corresponds to the amount of emissions and that therefore the compensation measure on the greenhouse gas problem also acts as healing as that of outset accomplished emission avoidance. In biotic compensation also requires a good concept to secure the carbon sequestration in the forest areas.

The climate- damaging effect of greenhouse gases other than CO2 may in the effect of a corresponding amount of CO2 can be converted (CO2 equivalents ) and are then made ​​to the described way of technical or biotic compensation back from the world.

Who wants to act in view of the climate problem exemplary and trend, is carbon neutral: He / she will be the opportunities for action avoiding and compensating in the light of its financial capabilities combine so that their own climate neutrality is secured and beyond a maximum is reached at emission avoidance.

Non- fossil fuels

Non - fossil fuels such as ethanol and rapeseed oil originated in the immediate present, in recent years or decades. Your carbon was removed from the atmosphere as CO2 recently; it is the same amount that would go well in a natural way (eg by rotting ) inevitably back into the atmosphere. Despite energetic use of rapidly renewable biomass and thus inevitably associated CO2 emissions from the equilibrium state of the carbon cycle remains essentially stable when so done on the release of CO2 from the combustion of hydrocarbons in the short term regrowth of a corresponding amount of biomass and CO2 absorption.

The incineration of non - fossil fuels is mistakenly referred to on the grounds that the generated CO2 emissions would be sooner or later, in any case, in the atmosphere as CO2 neutral. This often looked at from the perspective of an open system process also can be partially gesture Hung expenses for the biogenic fuel aside, as would be necessary for a closed system. So, for example, the much higher slash and burn damage and subsequent over-fertilization before the production of corn for bio- ethanol. This sometimes results in the total life cycle of biogenic fuels is not carbon neutral.

The burning of wood is only then - in net terms - no relevant impact on the CO2 balance of the atmosphere and thus climate- neutral when directly on the utilization of wood based so many trees are replanted, that by their growth in the shortest possible time (eg 10 years ) as much CO2 to the air is removed, as released by the combustion of wood. Even with firewood or wood pellets from guaranteed sustainable forestry results in a few decades continued CO2 pollution of the air, since it takes decades for the burnt in a relatively short time wood lot of old, harvest mature trees grown on a suitably sized replacement forest area and thus the corresponding CO2 amount of air will be withdrawn. Only the combustion else slowly rotting wood is net carbon neutral without replacement planting, provided Verrotung and junior viewed as a whole in balance.

Carbon neutral by compensation

By means of carbon offsets to cost mitigation measures can be implemented. Here, the carbon footprint is offset in one place by greenhouse gas savings elsewhere again. CO2 compensations were initially offered only for air travel. Meanwhile the idea but was extended to a wide variety of products and services. While supporters of the idea of the benefits of market-based instruments for climate protection point such as cost, critics see through weaknesses in greenhouse gas accounting, the effect of the compensation measures restricted.