Carbon Dioxide

How much carbon dioxide is in the air?

    0.04%

As shown here:     Move the mouse over the picture to enlarge.

The blue square represents all of the atmosphere.
The black dot in the middle is the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.
Oh, and the amount of carbon dioxide that man is adding to the air? Well, that's the white dot in the middle of the black dot.
97% of the carbon dioxide in the air is produced by nature.

Where does carbon dioxide come from?

It can come from volcanoes, animals breathing and when something is on fire.
Candles produce more carbon dioxide than an electric light bulb producing the same amount of light. The electric light bulb itself does not produce carbon dioxide, but to produce the electricity, sometimes coal is burnt. So when your friends light candles and say they are helping the planet by not using electricity, they are right. Their candles are producing more carbon dioxide which helps the plants grow.

Where does carbon dioxide go?

Most of the carbon dioxide in the air is used by plants. Plants grow because of carbon dioxide, water vapor and sunlight.

Is carbon dioxide pollution?

No. Carbon dioxide is necessary for life to exist. Without carbon dioxide, there would be no life on Earth.
No scientist would describe carbon dioxide as a pollutant. To be a pollutant, it would have to be damaging to life on Earth, carbon dioxide is necessary and vital, for life to exist. Without carbon dioxide or water vapor (sometimes called greenhouse gases) in the air, the entire Earth would be a desert - no plants and no animals.

Can carbon dioxide cause warming of the planet?

No. Like all gases in the air, they slow the rate of warming and they slow the rate of cooling of the planet.
Greenhouse gases reduce the temperature extremes. Like all gases and other particles in the air, carbon dioxide reduces the amount of light and heat from the Sun and reduces the amount of light and heat being lost to space.