Asked by: JedFitzharris and Adam Tempest
Fizzy drinks do release carbon dioxide (CO2), but this pales in comparison with overall human CO2 emissions. A can of pop contains 2-3g of CO2 – a tiny proportion of the six tonnes of CO2 per year (or 17kg per day) that the average person in the UK is responsible for.
What’s more, the CO2 pumped into carbonated drinks is usually a by-product from power plants – meaning it would have been released into the atmosphere anyway.
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- Quick Q&A: Why does cola taste nicer out of a glass bottle?
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- Does tapping the can stop a drink fizzing over when you open it?
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