Carbon Dioxide Essay

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The molecular formula of carbon dioxide is CO2. Carbon dioxide is a naturally produced nontoxic gas that has no smell. Carbon Dioxide is the most abundant greenhouse gas on the planet next to water vapor. In solid form it is commonly known as dry ice. It is a gas that is mandatory to the survival of most, if not all, living organisms on this planet. Terrestrial animals naturally create carbon dioxide in their lungs when the breathe out Humans alone do not physically or directly need carbon dioxide to survive though. Humans need carbon dioxide to survive because it feeds the plants which produce oxygen for us to breathe. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere also allows for a warmer temperature so that conditions on Earth allow it to be inhabitable. Today we hear that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is becoming a problem even though it is a naturally occurring gas. This is because humans have been interfering with the natural cycle of carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide is created through many different processes, both natural and unnatural. It is created through respiration, the burning of fossil fuels, the burning of wood, and many other ways. Carbon dioxide is absorbed by many different things. For example, plants absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. However, the soil releases some carbon dioxide back into the air. The ocean has a similar process. The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide that falls into the water and some is released through evaporation. Most of the carbon dioxide emissions actually come from the generation of electricity. 38% of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States comes from the burning of fossil fuels like coal to heat up water in order to power steam powered turbines. This generates electricity. The next...

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...of agricultural supply. This theory is similar to people being born because the quality of life slowly begins to degrade as more carbon is put into the atmosphere. The quality of life will degrade because too much carbon dioxide is dangerous to both plants and animals. If we look at Venus today, it is further from the sun than Mercury but yet somehow seems to be much hotter. This is because the atmosphere is much thicker than Mercury’s. An extreme amount of carbon in the atmosphere of Venus is what makes the temperature so high. The temperature of Venus is approximately 864 degrees Fahrenheit and Mercury is approximately 800 degrees Fahrenheit. This is all while Mercury is closer to the sun than Venus. If carbon dioxide is put into the atmosphere at the rate it currently is, then it is only a matter of time before Earth’s atmosphere becomes like Venus’ atmosphere.

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