Do my actions really emit tons of Carbon Dioxide?

 

During my three day class in Boston last month, my classmate (also sitting in the front row with me) asked what it meant that human energy use emits tons and tons of Carbon Dioxide in the air. We asked the instructor, and eventually determined this answer.

 

Standard periodic table

Group # 1 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 6 7 8/0
Period
 
1 1
H
 		 2
He
2 3
Li		 4
Be
 		 5
B		 6
C		 7
N		 8
O		 9
F		 10
Ne
3 11
Na		 12
Mg
 		 13
Al		 14
Si		 15
P		 16
S		 17
Cl		 18
Ar
4 19
K		 20
Ca		 21
Sc		 22
Ti		 23
V		 24
Cr		 25
Mn		 26
Fe		 27
Co		 28
Ni		 29
Cu		 30
Zn		 31
Ga		 32
Ge		 33
As		 34
Se		 35
Br		 36
Kr
5 37
Rb		 38
Sr		 39
Y		 40
Zr		 41
Nb		 42
Mo		 43
Tc		 44
Ru		 45
Rh		 46
Pd		 47
Ag		 48
Cd		 49
In		 50
Sn		 51
Sb		 52
Te		 53
I		 54
Xe
6 55
Cs		 56
Ba		 *
 		 72
Hf		 73
Ta		 74
W		 75
Re		 76
Os		 77
Ir		 78
Pt		 79
Au		 80
Hg		 81
Tl		 82
Pb		 83
Bi		 84
Po		 85
At		 86
Rn
7 87
Fr		 88
Ra		 **
 		 104
Rf		 105
Db		 106
Sg		 107
Bh		 108
Hs		 109
Mt		 110
Ds		 111
Rg		 112
Uub		 113
Uut		 114
Uuq		 115
Uup		 116
Uuh		 (117)
(Uus)		 118
Uuo

 
* Lanthanides 57
La		 58
Ce		 59
Pr		 60
Nd		 61
Pm		 62
Sm		 63
Eu		 64
Gd		 65
Tb		 66
Dy		 67
Ho		 68
Er		 69
Tm		 70
Yb		 71
Lu
** Actinides 89
Ac		 90
Th		 91
Pa		 92
U		 93
Np		 94
Pu		 95
Am		 96
Cm		 97
Bk		 98
Cf		 99
Es		 100
Fm		 101
Md		 102
No		 103
Lr

Note that Carbon has 6 protons, and Oxygen has 8.  From high school chemistry class, you recall that they each have a similar number of neutrons, and the atomic weight of Carbon is 12 and Oxygen 16.

CO2 means that one carbon links with two oxygen.

In my engineering work, I must often use the weight of water at 62 pounds per cubic foot. And with 7.5 gallons per cubic foot, water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon.

Gasoline or fuel oil is lighter than water and thus floats.  Gas weighs about 6.2 pounds per gallon.  A full 80% of gasoline is carbon. So 0.8 x 6.2 = 5 pounds per gallon of gasoline is Carbon.

In the car engine combustion process, each Carbon hooks up with two Oxygens to become CO2.

From above, 6 Carbon and 8 + 8 Oxygen gives a "weight" of CO2 of 6 + 8 + 8 = 22.  For every five pounds (or one gallon) of Carbon burned, 22 x 5/6 = 18 pounds of CO2 are produced.

Your car's 20 gallon gas tank emits 18 x 20 = 360 pounds of CO2 each time you fill it. Five or 6 fill ups produce 2000 pounds = one ton of CO2 that goes into our atmosphere.

And the same with your #2 diesel fuel oil tank for your home heating. The 550 gallons per tank yields about 9900 pounds = 5 tons of CO2 up your chimney.

This web site seems to have some info, type in your use in the dark green spaces and click on the tonnage: http://www.carbonify.com/carbon-calculator.htm

Anyway, that's my explanation of Tons of CO2.

Back to 03/08/09