We love our planet. From frolicking on beaches to kicking back in botanical bliss and simply soaking up all the wonder of the gorgeous great outdoors, Mother Earth is our slice of magic. At Sozy, we want to do everything we can to keep our carbon footprint as low as possible.
We know that the fashion industry plays a huge role in bumping up greenhouse gas emissions and we are forever looking to improve our own commitment to being a carbon-neutral brand.
Carbon neutrality is such an important issue, especially for companies. At Sozy we believe we have a responsibility to give back and to protect this world for future generations to come. In an effort not to gloss over the problems we face when it comes to carbon emissions and to avoid greenwashing rather than taking action, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and achieving carbon neutrality. Thanks so much for your support and for joining us on this journey to do better.
Carbon Neutral 101: What Is Carbon Neutrality And How Does Carbon Affect Global Warming?
What Is Carbon?
Carbon is a chemical element that combines with other elements to make molecules. These molecules are basically the building blocks on which our world is formed - we are made up of carbon as is the earth beneath our feet. In fact, even the human body is said to be 20% carbon. But when talking about climate change this isn't the form of carbon we mean. Carbon in the climate context is a shorthand way of talking about carbon dioxide which is made up of carbon and oxygen molecules and also known as CO2.
What about Fossil Fuels?
Plants soak up the CO2, keeping the carbon and throwing out the oxygen (which is why plants are so important). Animals breathe in that oxygen and throw out carbon dioxide. This has been going on since the beginning of time and when these plants and animals die and go into the earth they become fossil fuels like oil and gas. We use fossil fuel as energy to make our world turn. By burning fossil fuels we send that collected carbon back out into the atmosphere, only the process has been sped up. In just a couple of hundred years, we have pumped out into the world what took millions of years to build up.
What about Greenhouse Gas?
CO2 is a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gas is important as it helps trap heat from the sun close to the earth and keeps our earth habitable rather than a frozen mass.
So, we do need these greenhouse gases and carbon emissions in order to survive, but like everything in life - this comes in moderation. Unfortunately, we have as long left that tipping point behind and we are now in a place where there is too much carbon dioxide. When we have an excess of carbon dioxide emissions this warms the atmosphere too much and leads to climate change and a whole host of other problems.
Carbon dioxide isn't the only source contributing to the greenhouse effect. Methane from natural gas is a huge problem too and one of the biggest contributing factors is livestock and how we approach mass agriculture. Nitrus Oxide and industrial gases also add to the pile.
There are many sources of greenhouse gas emissions, most of which have to do with our daily habits.
How Carbon Impacts Climate Change
As the earth doesn't have enough biocapacity to soak up all these carbon emissions, they start to accumulate. The greenhouse gases absorb solar energy and they keep the heat close to the earth and the atmosphere gets hotter and hotter. This leads to all kinds of proven catastrophic effects, some of which you may be familiar with such as the melting of the ice-caps.
Soaring CO2 emissions leads to carbon pollution which can contribute to heightened smog and respiratory issues in people, poor crop yields, and more natural disasters. The melting of the ice caps can lead to a rise in sea levels, floods and famine and the loss of habitats and ecosystems for wildlife and plants.
Image Source: NASA
The higher temperatures can lead to wildfires and drought and water supplies drying up. Our weather patterns will change and everything from the environment to the economy will suffer the impact. When Greta Thunberg said that we need to act as though our house is on fire, it's because it is.
At Sozy, we are keen to act now and do what we can to get to climate neutrality because we believe it is our duty as a company existing during a time when swift climate action is needed. Every single sector contributes to the rise of greenhouse gasses and it is down to each of us to do our best to do our bit.
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