How do carbon dioxide emissions harm the Earth?

Well, first, let's back up. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Ultraviolet radiation comes in through the atmosphere, deflects off of the Earth, and turns into infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases stay in the atmosphere, and absorb the infrared radiation. This traps the heat inside the Earth's atmosphere, increasing the average temperature on Earth. This is known as the "greenhouse effect". Some of the most common greenhouse gases include methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and by far the most abundant, carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide emissions can come from anything from cars to factories. Increasing the Earth's temperature has drastic affects on wildlife and ecosystems. Sea levels are rising as ice is melting and water expands in the heat. The rate at which the sea levels are rising has doubled over the last decade, and if it continues like this, coastal regions will begin to flood. Along with increasing the Earth's temperature, carbon dioxide can also cause acid rain/precipitation. The carbon dioxide mixes with the water vapor in the atmosphere and makes it highly acidic. The rain falls with a lower pH, harming ecosystems as well as historical human-made landmarks. It can take up to 100 years for an ecosystem to regain a normal pH so that animals can live there again.

Because of the reasons listed above and many more, we have decided that we need to prioritize the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions over the other greenhouse gases. This does not mean that we will not tackle other gases in the future, just that we are prioritizing carbon dioxide in this moment. Project Carbon is the first project created by For the Future. The goal of this project is to work towards the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. We will accomplish this goal in many different ways, including products and educational campaigns. Our first product is The Friendly Car, and its description is on its own page on this website. We have not yet designed a campaign, making this our next step for Project Carbon.