碳平衡 Carbon Neutral

「碳平衡」这个词被评选为新牛津美语字典的二零零六年的年度词汇，‘主要原因在於它已經從最初由環保人士倡導的一項概念，逐漸獲得越來越多民眾支持，並且成為受到美國政府當局所重視的實際綠化行動’。也有翻译成碳中和，碳守衡，甚至碳中立。不过理解了这个词的意思后，碳平衡应该是比较恰当的。

首先看一下字典中的原文解释

The New Oxford American Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2006
Being carbon neutral involves calculating your total climate-damaging carbon emissions, reducing them where possible, and then balancing your remaining emissions, often by purchasing a carbon offset: paying to plant new trees or investing in “green” technologies such as solar and wind power.

‘达到碳平衡首先要计算你破坏气候的总碳排放，如果能减少尽量减少，剩余的已经不能再减的碳排放要通过其它方式平衡，通常是购买一定的碳补偿或碳抵消（carbon offsets）：例如植树造林或投资太阳能和风能等绿色技术'。其中的核心理念是确保我们进行的活动所涉的碳排放和碳吸收量相等，实现零碳排放，这样就不会给地球的气候增加负担。这条解释描述达到碳平衡的过程，比较偏重于个人或组织层次，比较通俗易懂的解释。

再看下在维基百科中的一段解释：

Being carbon neutral, or carbon neutrality, refers to neutral (meaning zero) total carbon release, brought about by balancing the amount of carbon released with the amount sequestered or offset. Various special interests attempt to promote a use of the term that refers to carbon reduction, which is clearly not neutral. In this more loose sense, it has two common uses:

It can refer to the practice of balancing carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, with renewable energy that creates a similar amount of useful energy, so that the carbon emissions are compensated, or alternatively using only renewable energies that don't produce any carbon dioxide (this last is called a post-carbon economy).

It is also used to describe the practice, criticized by some, of carbon offsetting, by paying others to remove or sequester 100% of the carbon dioxide emitted from the atmosphere – for example by planting trees – or by funding 'carbon projects' that should lead to the prevention of future greenhouse gas emissions, or by buying carbon credits to remove (or 'retire') them through carbon trading. These practices are often used in parallel, together with energy conservation measures to minimize energy use. The concept may be extended to include other greenhouse gases measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalence.

这段解释强调碳平衡的这种状态，以及如何达到这种状态的两种途径：一是使用可更新能源替代化石燃料达到平衡；一是通过购买碳补偿或碳抵消（carbon offsets）。乍一看这个定义好像比较片面，仅仅强调替代或补偿而不首先考虑减少能源使用，其实仔细读过后其实也不能说它片面，定义中虽然没有提到这点，但是最后写道‘这两种途径通常是并行的与节能措施一齐来减少能源使用’。

所以综合说来，个人碳平衡是一种生活状态；达到碳平衡可以通过不排放任何碳来达到，使用纯绿色能源例如风能/太阳能，交通方式为步行或骑自行车等零排放方式。不过这种方式基本上很难很理想，因为现代人不可避免会排放碳；所以，如果你不能让自己做到零排放，那么就想办法让自己的排放减少，然后再通过其它方式如购买碳信用额来抵消自己的排放。不过需要强调的是，碳平衡的概念一定要体现 努力减少 这一点，不然讨论碳平衡就没有意义。因为人们会错误的认为可以照样排放，只要定期定量花点钱补偿一下就行了。
Source
OUP Blog USA
Wikipedia Carbon Neutral
文志靡開 lingspiration