Carbon Faces (1): An Idea and a Pen
A few days ago, I published an article titled “Carbon... The Element of Life When It Goes Out of Rhythm,” in which I explored the delicate relationship between carbon and its role in life, and how an imbalance in its levels can become one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time. At that time, I did not expect that article to open the door to an idea that would evolve into a full series.
The following evening, I received a message from Dr. Sultan Al-Salim. He began with a greeting before writing: “Allow me to make a suggestion... and accept it from your younger brother.” I smiled as I read this phrase, for although he refers to himself as my younger brother, he is, in terms of stature and standing, a senior figure to me. He is among the personalities who shaped my passion for scientific writing and the simplification of knowledge, and I still consider him one of those who inspired me to believe that words carry a message that transcends the boundaries of paper.
He then shared with me an idea he said had been lingering in his mind for years. He suggested that I dedicate a series of articles, each with an independent topic focusing on a specific type of carbon, its source, its impact, and possible solutions for addressing it or maximizing its positive effects. He quickly provided examples: black carbon is linked to fossil fuel sources, red carbon is associated with ice caps and the acceleration of melting it causes, and green carbon relates to forests and their role in absorbing carbon. He concluded his remarks by saying, “And thus... you have a beautiful series. It is an old idea of mine, and the matter is left to you.”
The idea stayed with me for a long time. After he finished explaining it, I asked him to name the series, reasoning that he who gifted me the idea deserved the honor of naming it. However, he firmly refused, saying a phrase I will never forget: “I will not enter the writer’s imagination.” It was a short sentence, but it carried a deep respect for the writer’s freedom, and a belief that while an idea may be gifted, its spirit can only be written by the one who holds the pen. At that moment, I realized he did not want to impose his vision on the work; rather, he wanted to give me the idea and leave me free to shape its identity. From that moment, the name “Faces of Carbon” was born, a title I felt was closest to the spirit of the idea.
In public discourse, carbon is often reduced to the image of emissions or pollution, while the reality is far broader. Carbon is not a single face, but multiple faces, each with its own story, source, impact, and solutions. Therefore, this series will not merely be an exhibition of scientific information, but a knowledge journey that connects science with reality, simplifying for the reader a topic that has become present in the economy, energy, sustainability, and decision-making.
This series owes its beginning to an honest dialogue and an idea whose owner chose to gift it to someone else. Dr. Sultan Al-Salim deserves great thanks and appreciation for his trust and scientific generosity, and to the reader, I make a promise to do everything I can so that each article becomes an extension of that idea, and a fulfillment of the debt to the one who was the cause of its birth.
