TABLE OF CONTENTS Since it was discovered that carbon dioxide may be related to climate change, this gas has often been referred to as a pollutant in politics and the media. This is a serious error and it is completely misleading for a good understanding of carbon dioxide-related problems.
Together with oxygen, CO 2 plays an essential role in the propagation of life on earth. Plants absorb CO 2 and water in equal molecular amounts and synthesise carbohydrates, the main solid constituent of all forms of vegetation. This chemical process, that is only possible under the influence of sunlight, is called photosynthesis. During this process oxygen is formed. Men, animals and aerobic micro-organisms consume carbohydrates. They take in oxygen that is used for the oxidation (burning) of carbohydrates, which supplies the necessary energy. This burning process is exactly the reverse of photosynthesis. Plants and animals, including men, and aerobic micro- organisms, keep each other alive with these CO 2 and oxygen cycles.
All organic matter embodied in men, animals and plants, is synthesised from atmospheric CO 2. CO 2 and water are the main building blocks for carbohydrates, they in their turn are the main constituting elements for proteins and fats. And all the oxygen that is present in the atmosphere and that is inhaled by both men and animals is entirely produced by plants.
For several billions of years, before there was any animal life on land, the CO 2 content of the atmosphere was...
