- Carbon bonds are broken when consuming food, burning fuel, or burning paper, resulting in the release of carbon dioxide (CO2).
- Carbon is a social atom and seeks new partners immediately when its bonds are broken.
- Carbon prefers to bond with two oxygen atoms, forming CO2.
- Some CO2 is absorbed by the ocean and trees, but the amount emitted is overwhelming the capacity of these natural sinks.
- The excess CO2 in the atmosphere contributes to the greenhouse effect, causing global warming.
- The episode ends by posing the question of what can be done to address the warming caused by carbon emissions.

NPR's Robert Krulwich and Odd Todd, in partnership with Wild Chronicles, present an animated cartoon series on the atom at the heart of global warming: carbon. In episode 4: When carbon falls in love, the whole world heats up.

How come when you break a carbon bond, Over and over the same thing happens.

It's because of the science-y stuff or something.

Yeah, it's a little science-y because what you do is you eat a carrot, which breaks the carbon bonds in the carrot, and then you exhale.

All over the world, when we burn more and more carbon, we get more and more carbon dioxide.

As we've said, carbon deep down is a very social atom.

So whenever its bonds are broken, Carbon!

Right away, immediately, it wants a new partner.

And for Carbon, the most desirable partner, because it's so stable, so settled, so...

When carbon finds 2 oxygens, it clings to them fiercely.

So what happens then to all that new carbon dioxide?

Well, CO2 is invisible, so you look up, but you can't see it up there.

But some CO2 floats out over the ocean and when it rains, it gets absorbed by the sea where the carbon and the oxygens cling fiercely together like a carbonated beverage like a soda.

Meanwhile, some other CO2 gets absorbed by the trees.

But we are adding so much more CO2 to the atmosphere, the trees and the seas, they just can't keep up.

With the result that there is now so much more CO2 up there, we now have what scientists call a greenhouse effect.

When sunshine pours down onto the Earth, some of it bounces off the surface back up to the sky, where it bumps into all those new CO2 molecules.

The molecules, as usual, are in a tight embrace, so when the sunshine hits them, they don't break up, they heat up.

Which warms the air, which may warm the oceans and melt the glaciers, and raise the sea levels, and lead more and more scientists say to what we call global warming.

Which then raises our last question, the question we pose in episode number 5.

If carbon is making us warmer, what can we do about it?

Wait, are you talking about me when you say we?

Because you're talking about them, right?


Speaker 0: How come when you break a carbon bond, Over and over the same thing happens.

Speaker 1: I know, that's easy. It's because of the science-y stuff or something.

Speaker 0: Yeah, it's a little science-y because what you do is you eat a carrot, which breaks the carbon bonds in the carrot, and then you exhale. And what do you exhale? Carbon dioxide. You gun an engine. What comes out of the fuel pipe?

Carbon dioxide. You burn a piece of paper. What gets released? Carbon dioxide. All over the world, when we burn more and more carbon, we get more and more carbon dioxide.

And this is no accident. As we've said, carbon deep down is a very social atom. Carbon! It does not like being alone. Carbon!

Carbon! So whenever its bonds are broken, Carbon!

Speaker 1: Carbon! Hello! Over here!

Speaker 0: Right away, immediately, it wants a new partner. And for Carbon, the most desirable partner, because it's so stable, so settled, so...

Speaker 1: Carbon!

Speaker 0: Perfect. Is to bond with Oxygen.

Speaker 1: Carbon!

Speaker 0: Hi. And not with 1 oxygen, it likes 2. What? Carbon! Ooh la la.

Carbon is a polygamist. Carbon! 1 carbon plus 2 oxygens, that's CO2. Ooh la la. When carbon finds 2 oxygens, it clings to them fiercely.

They are very hard to pry apart. So what happens then to all that new carbon dioxide? Well, CO2 is invisible, so you look up, but you can't see it up there. But some CO2 floats out over the ocean and when it rains, it gets absorbed by the sea where the carbon and the oxygens cling fiercely together like a carbonated beverage like a soda. Meanwhile, some other CO2 gets absorbed by the trees.

Trees, in effect, eat CO2.

Speaker 1: Stop already with the ooh-la-la's. We're about to be...

Speaker 0: Tastes like chicken. But we are adding so much more CO2 to the atmosphere, the trees and the seas, they just can't keep up. With the result that there is now so much more CO2 up there, we now have what scientists call a greenhouse effect. When sunshine pours down onto the Earth, some of it bounces off the surface back up to the sky, where it bumps into all those new CO2 molecules. The molecules, as usual, are in a tight embrace, so when the sunshine hits them, they don't break up, they heat up.

Which warms the air, which may warm the oceans and melt the glaciers, and raise the sea levels, and lead more and more scientists say to what we call global warming. Which then raises our last question, the question we pose in episode number 5. If carbon is making us warmer, what can we do about it?

Speaker 1: Wait, are you talking about me when you say we? Because you're talking about them, right? Not me. Who? Them, right?

Speaker 0: Yo. That's episode 5. OK, cool. That's episode 5.

Speaker 1: Dark.

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Episode 4: Global Warming, It's All About Carbon | Krulwich Wonders | NPR