Carbon is in carbon dioxide (CO2). It helps the earth by trapping heat. Earth holds the energy from the sun. If there were no carbon, oceans would be solid frozen. Carbon is part of life and a building block of it. Even humans are made of 18% carbon. So, a standard (balanced) amount of carbon in all things, including CO2, is acceptable. We need it. However, unbalanced amounts of CO2 lead to the Earth's GreenHouse Effect. And that is the problem.