ONCE upon a time, amidst the bustling street of a busy city, there lived a young scientist named Alice. She worked in her lab daily, studying science and enjoying the city’s lively atmosphere.
One fateful day, as she sat among the clutter of beakers and test tubes, a question seized her mind like a bolt of lightning: “Do you know carbon has colours?”
This simple inquiry ignited a spark in her mind to begin a profound journey into the mysteries of nature and science. With a limitless curiosity driving her, she investigated the complex needlepoint of scientific literature, in search of answers.
Through her tireless research, she uncovered a narrative woven in the complex web of science. It was a tale about the colourful carbon.
From the depth of dark black to light blue-green, each shade revealed a unique aspect of carbon’s interaction with its surroundings, beckoning her further into the depths of its mystery.
Among these encounters was a study by Laskin et al. (2015), of brilliant minds whose visions into brown carbon opened her eyes to the hidden world waiting beneath the surface of the urban landscape.
As Alice studied this complex puzzle, she found herself wrapped around the rainbow of carbon, fascinated by the fables they had to share. But her journey did not end with the pages of a book. No, her search for knowledge took her far beyond the limits of her laboratory. Hence, she embarked on an adventure that spanned the globe, encountering a diverse cast of characters who could shape her understanding of the shades of carbon, and challenge her perceptions of the world.
The Journey Begins: Discovering Black Carbon
Alice’s exploration first led her to the heart of the industrial district, where factories churned ceaselessly. She first encountered Black Carbon.
As she collected air samples near smokestacks, she observed how these particles, released from burning fossil fuels, absorbed sunlight and warmed the atmosphere, possibly accelerating the melting of polar ice caps.
The Tale of Grey Carbon
Venturing back into the city, Alice turned her attention to the exhaust fumes of vehicles and the dusty air around construction sites.
Here she discovered grey carbon, a lighter cousin to the dark soot she had seen earlier. This grey carbon floated and settled on buildings, roads and parks, whispering sagas of the Earth’s ancient carbon cycle.
Alice’s experiments revealed how this grey carbon affected air quality, influencing the health of the city’s inhabitants.
Unveiling Brown Carbon
Alice’s research then took her to the outskirts of the city, where the air was filled with the scent of decaying leaves and wet soil. Alice found brown carbon; a product of natural decomposition of plant matter, interacting with sunlight in unique ways, subtly influencing climatic patterns and deepening Alice’s appreciation for nature’s interconnectedness.
The Enigma of Red Carbon
Further, Alice’s thirst for knowledge drew her to a conference on polar research, where she heard whispers of a mysterious red carbon found in the polar regions.
The images of ice tinged with red, known as red carbon has captivated her. Determined to see this for herself, Alice embarked on a journey to the Arctic. Amidst the stark beauty of the icy landscapes, she marveled at the snow microorganisms whose survival strategy involved creating red pigments and the blooms tends to increase the snow melt (Lutz. et. al. 2016).
Along the journey, Alice encountered various characters, including scientists, explorers and visionaries, who would shape her understanding of carbon colours. Eventually, she discovered that the black, grey, brown and red colors of carbon releases were not just mere shades but had significant environmental implications.
As her journey unfolded, she had to face the harsh reality of climate change. The threat of environmental degradation emerged large, casting a shadow over her discoveries and reminding her of the urgent need to protect the fragile balance of the planet.
Despite facing challenges, she stayed determined and focused on her mission. She found a spark of hope and inspiration guiding her towards a future where humanity lived in harmony with the world around them.
As one part of her story ended, she eagerly waited for the next adventure to unravel.
Purple Carbon: The Mystical Marshes
Alice’s curiosity then took her to the mystical lands of saltwater marshes, where the ground was wet with salty water. Here, she found a rare form of carbon called Purple Carbon produced by the tiny bacteria that had a special trick.
These bacteria mainly capture carbon from the air or through the industrial emission by using their colourful purple pigments.
Peering through her microscope, Alice observed the intricate dance of microscopic life, as these magnificent bacteria captured carbon in their unseen realms, weaving a tapestry of purple magic beneath the surface to keep the planet healthy.
Blue Carbon: The Hidden Ocean Treasure
Her quest continued beneath the ocean waves, to the hidden realms of mangroves and seagrass beds. Here, where the ocean heart beat is strongest, she encountered the mesmerising Blue Carbon — A hidden repository of carbon, sequestered away in the depth of the ocean, safeguarding our planet (Morgan et al., 2023).
Teal Carbon: Mixing Waters
In the calm inland wetlands, where fresh water meets salty water, Alice discovered the carbon held in these wetlands stored within the fertile soils and dark waters.
Here, various lifeforms worked together to trap carbon, blending the qualities of both blue and green carbon storage methods. In these magical places, where the sea kissed the land, Alice uncovered the elusive Teal Carbon.
Green Carbon: The Forest Guardians
Finally, Alice found the vibrant heart of the planet when she explored lush rainforests. Here green carbon was sequestered in vast amounts from the atmosphere.
This not only helped the trees grow big and strong but also kept the climate balanced.
On her global expedition, the adventures led her to ecosystems where carbon was not just released but sequestered, playing a crucial role in mitigating climate change (Singh, 2024). Yet, alongside the beauty of her discoveries, she also witnessed the devastating impact of human activity on the environment (Davis, 2023).
Deforestation, pollution and shifting climatic patterns served as stark reminder of the urgent need for action to safeguard the Earth for future generations. With her newfound knowledge and a strong sense of purpose, she returned to her laboratory, intending on making a difference.
She wanted to unknot the conundrum of carbon with each new experiment and connect their power for good. And so, as the sun set on another day in the busy metropolis, she stood at the forefront of a new era of scientific discovery, her eyes alight with the promise of a changed world.
She had found the key to understanding the natural world but also a profound sense of responsibility.
Looking at the city skyline, she realised her journey had just begun, with countless adventures awaiting on the horizon.
And as she peered into the starry night, she knew that with determination and perseverance, she could help shape a brighter future for generations to come.
Source: U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Sources:
Laskin, A., Laskin, J., & Nizkorodov, S. A. (2015). Chemistry of atmospheric brown carbon. Chemical reviews, 115(10), 4335-4382.
Lutz, S., Anesio, A., Raiswell, R. et al. (2016). The biogeography of red snow microbiomes and their role in melting arctic glaciers. Nat Commun 7, 11968.
Morgan, W., Bradshaw, S., King, T., Gardner, J., Hughes, L., Karoly, D., & Pecl, G. (2023). Code Blue: our oceans in crisis. Climate Council.
Davis, W. (2023). River Notes: Drought and the Twilight of the American West—A Natural and Human History of the Colorado. Greystone Books Ltd.
Singh, V. (2024). Climate Change Mitigation. In Textbook of Environment and Ecology (pp. 309-325). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
