Explained: What are carbon bombs and their impact on global climate
The terms ‘carbon footprints’ and ‘greenhouse gas emissions’ have been synonymous with climate change in recent years. While the former refers to the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere as a result of human activities, the latter refers to the emission of all kinds of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane and nitrous oxide; all of which directly contribute to global warming and air pollution.
Turns out that instead of coming together and reducing the carbon footprints and lowering greenhouse gas emissions, some the countries have collaborated to engage in several projects that would invariably release huge amounts of greenhouse gases (especially CO2) into the atmosphere. These are known as carbon bomb projects. Here is all you need to know about these projects and the measures suggested to diffuse them.
What are these carbon bomb projects?
The Guardian published an investigative piece in May 2022 on carbon bombs. During the investigation, it was found that a few powerful nations, as well as several privately-owned conglomerates (such as Chevron, Shell and BP), have come together to engage in what is being termed as ‘carbon bomb’ projects, 195 of them to be exact. This is when the term ‘carbon bombs’ quickly started to pick up and has ever since been a concern for environmentalists and climatologists around the globe. In fact, very recently, several of them have jointly identified the imminent adverse effects of these carbon bombs and have even demanded that they be diffused, starting now.
As part of its investigative reports, The Guardian identified and defined a carbon bomb as any gigantic oil and gas project that would lead to a minimum of billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions as long as it continues. But what does this mean? This means it will equal approximately 18 years of the current carbon release worldwide. And guess what? The investigation further revealed that 60 per cent of these bombs are already underway.
In case you are wondering about the sources of these carbon bombs, they are burning fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas. All of these, when exploited, can result in extremely high levels of pollution and environmental degradation.
Carbon bombs across the globe
As already mentioned, The Guardian had identified 195 carbon bomb projects so far in the world. The countries involved are the USA, Russia, West Asia (for instance Saudi Arabia), Australia and India. Earlier, during 2015’s Paris Agreement, the countries had collectively resolved to limit carbon emissions. However, these new projects will evidently undermine all that was previously decided, such as containing the global rise in average temperature to 2 degrees Celsius.
A race towards extinction!
If all the carbon bomb projects continue unflinchingly, humanity is well on its way toward extinction. Out of all the countries, the USA has been identified as the frontrunner in the carbon bomb projects. It has already commenced 22 such projects spreading across the Gulf of Mexico to the foothills of the Front Range in the Colorado Permian Basin. Estimates suggest that they alone have the potential to emit 140 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases, almost four times what the entire world emits annually Saudi Arabia has been identified as the second in this race, with a potential of 107 billion tonnes, followed by Russia, Qatar, Iraq, Canada, China and Brazil. Some of the Indian carbon bomb projects listed on LINGO’s official website are Carmichael Coal Project by the Adani Group, Gevra Coal Mines by Coal India and Rajmahal Coal Mines by Eastern Coalfields.
What’s the plan for carbon bomb diffusion?
A network by the name LINGO (Leave It In the Ground Initiative) has been set up by a coalition of environmental lawyers, climate activists and investigative journalists. Their goal is as upfront as it can get; immediate diffusion of carbon bombs (already underway) and a global halt to carbon bomb projects. Its mission is to “leave fossil fuels in the ground and learn to live without them.”
This group of people believe that climate change is the biggest global concern and that burning fossil fuels and releasing greenhouse gases are its major sources. The solution? Immediate and total shift to renewable energy resources. The goal of this network of climate experts and protectors is to organise protest marches against such projects, challenge them legally and carry out extensive research about them, all with the aim to diffuse the carbon bombs before they wipe out the environment.