Carbon is essential for the existence of life on Earth due to its ability to combine with other important elements, such as oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus, and with hydrogen to form organic molecules that are essential for cell metabolism. Atmospheric carbon in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) helps regulate the earth’s climate by “trapping” heat in the atmosphere. This energy trapping is known as the greenhouse effect and CO2 and CH4, along with other greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as water vapor and nitrous oxide (N2O), keep the Earth’s climate in a habitable range. The carbon exchange between the atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere occurs through photosynthesis and respiration. Carbon is removed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis and fixed by leaves, roots, stems and woody biomass. It is returned to the atmosphere through autotrophic (plant) respiration and heterotrophic (microbial) respiration of plant waste and soil carbon. Fires and other ailments such as insect outbreaks and timber harvesting can be considered accelerated breathing processes and the amount that enters the atmosphere from these processes varies from year to year.

The MARCOPOLO ENVIROMENTAL GROUP carries out, through the companies of the group, a very diversified activity in the environmental field:

• avoids CO2 emissions into the atmosphere every hour by capturing biogas;
• transforms biogas into biomethane useful for powering trucks, avoiding the combustion of fossil fuels (petroleum);
• produces humus, a complex mixture of organic materials deriving from plants and microorganisms, which restores the micro-biodiversity of the soil, increases the stability and fertility of the soil and the buffering power of the soil;
• continuous research and development with leading universities of Agriculture, Microbiology, Chemical Process Engineering and Engineering on the applied processes of the new biotechnologies for the use of carbon dioxide for industrial and food uses, for the cultivation of microalgae.
• closes the integrated cycle in the decarbonization project with SONITA. Each SONITA ELBIOCAR vehicle fits into the world of transport with the aim of making transport environmentally friendly, simple, safe and inexpensive. SONITA’s philosophy is not to pollute in the construction phase since most of the recycled and recyclable materials are used, it does not pollute in the use phase as it consumes electricity and is contractually linked with Marcopolo Engineering SpA – Ecological Systems for CO2 passive reduction from animal manure recovery processes with production of humus as a CO2 storer. It does not pollute when its life ends as it is all recyclable! Finally, it is also an electric car because it has three energy production systems when it is in motion and when it is stationary. Furthermore, each vehicle can be equipped with a quantity of high-quality humus produced by the Marcopolo Environmental Group “MEG” to equalize the CO2 produced to build it.