Carbon dioxide is the third largest percentage gas in the atmosphere which cannot pass infrared radiation. It traps the sun’s heat underneath the atmosphere; the more CO₂ in the atmosphere, the stronger the greenhouse effect can be.

Scientists measure climate change through the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Image the earth’s atmosphereas a jacket. The jacket is there to keep you warm; in the real world it’s the earth’s atmosphere that serves the same purpose.

Now, if we unfold the history of our earth, it’s not hard to tell that the density of atmospheric CO₂ has repletely increased and decreased in cycles and has generally remained stable. 

However, the cycles were broken at around 1950, which is the era of the second industrial revolution; and the levels of CO₂ in our earth have been increasing ever since. 

One of the biggest sourceof CO₂ are (personal) vehicles. To help improve air quality, relevant policies have been enforced.

London, for example, is now operating an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and vehicles insidethis zone need to be in line with the emission standards or pay a fee. This ranges from £12.50 to £100.

Therefore, to acheive the goal of a 0 emission urban transportation, scientists are suggesting bikes or eBikes as your alternative choice of getting around in the city. A recent U.S. study shows that if 14% of the globe’s daily travelwere done with bikes or eBikes, carbon emission would be reduced by 11%.

But if you’re far from your destination, you can still participate in protecting the environment by using public transport or carpool.

Article by Yuan Luo