Carbon Dioxide Effects
Carbon dioxide is a gas produced through natural processes such as the respiration of living organisms and the burning of organic matter.
Carbon dioxide and its use are very important in photosynthesis by plants to produce the oxygen necessary for life.
However, when concentrations increase excessively in the atmosphere, it can have adverse carbon dioxide effects on the environment and global climate.
Excess carbon dioxide is one of the main causes of climate change, which results in global warming and ecosystem disruption.
Increase in Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is one of the greenhouse gases that is important for maintaining the Earth's temperature suitable for life.
It is a major component that contributes to the greenhouse effect.
As CO₂ concentrations increase due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, this gas absorbs more heat from the sun's rays.
It traps heat in the atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise.
This increase in temperature in turn causes extreme weather changes, such as heat waves, floods, and stronger hurricanes.
This effect disrupts the stability of nature and can damage ecosystems that have formed naturally over thousands of years.
Effects of Carbon Dioxide on the Environment
The biggest impact of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is on global climate change and global warming. Some of the impacts include:
- Melting glaciers: Rising global temperatures are causing glaciers in the polar regions to melt, which in turn is causing sea levels to rise. This has a major impact on coastal areas that are vulnerable to flooding and soil erosion.
- Natural disasters: More extreme weather changes increase the incidence of natural disasters such as hurricanes and flash floods.
- Ecosystem disruption: Ecosystems that depend on stable temperatures and weather patterns are also disrupted, threatening plant and animal species that may not be able to adapt to the changes.
- Threats to biodiversity: Life diversity is also under threat as many species may not be able to survive changes in their habitats due to higher temperatures and changing weather patterns.
Effects of Carbon Dioxide on Human Health
EExposure to high concentrations of carbon dioxide can cause a variety of serious health problems. Some of the main effects include:
- Respiratory problems: High CO2 concentrations can affect the respiratory system, causing difficulty in breathing or worsening existing lung diseases such as asthma and bronchitis.
- Increase in heat-related illnesses: Rising temperatures due to global warming increase the risk of heat-related illnesses.
- Spread of vector-borne diseases: It also contributes to the spread of diseases carried by vectors such as mosquitoes.
Ajinomoto Malaysia Addresses Rising Carbon Dioxide Content
Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad (AMB) emphasises optimising energy efficiency to reduce its carbon footprint in its sustainability efforts. These include:
- Steam Leak Repair and Condensate Water Recovery: This project aims to reduce energy loss and save natural gas consumption by reusing condensate water in boilers.
- Compressed Air Leak Monitoring and Repair: Regular inspections using advanced detection technology help reduce compressor load and electricity consumption.
- Installation of High-Efficiency Air Conditioning Systems: The company is considering installing a system with inverter technology at the Bandar Enstek factory to improve energy performance with minimal environmental impact.
In addition, AMB has set ambitious carbon dioxide emission reduction targets compared to the 2019 base year:
- 65% reduction by 2025.
- 75% reduction by 2026.
- 80% reduction by 2031.
Ajinomoto Malaysia's comprehensive approach aims to reduce the impact of climate change and become a responsible organisation for global sustainability.
