Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat from the sun and makes life on Earth possible. Why then should we be concerned about adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere if it is a natural occurrence and beneficial to life on Earth?
Solution
Before the industrial revolution, Earth\'s atmosphere already contained CO 2 . CO 2 levels were regulated by the natural carbon cycle, where animals would breathe out carbondioxide and plants would absorb it to convert sunlight to energy and the oceans and soils would absorb and emit CO 2 .
As human activities increased, we began burning various sources like oil,gas and coal for energy therby releasing additional  CO 2 into the atmosphere. The extent of additional carbondioxide released into the atmosphere has been increasing day by day such that the natural carbon cycle is disturbed. Plants no more absorb all the huge excess of  CO 2 released into the atmosphere.
As a result, all the  excess CO2 in the atmosphere is trapping lot of energy in the form of heat from the Sun and this is the reason for global warming.
Hence, natural occurance of  CO 2 is beneficial to life on the Earth. However it has way back crossed the natural permissible levels and is hazardous to release more and more  CO 2 into the atmosphere.
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Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat from the sun and makes lif.docx
1. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat from the sun and makes life on Earth possible. Why
then should we be concerned about adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere if it is a natural
occurrence and beneficial to life on Earth?
Solution
Before the industrial revolution, Earth's atmosphere already contained CO 2 . CO 2 levels were
regulated by the natural carbon cycle, where animals would breathe out carbondioxide and plants
would absorb it to convert sunlight to energy and the oceans and soils would absorb and emit CO
2 .
As human activities increased, we began burning various sources like oil,gas and coal for energy
therby releasing additional  CO 2 into the atmosphere. The extent of additional carbondioxide
released into the atmosphere has been increasing day by day such that the natural carbon cycle is
disturbed. Plants no more absorb all the huge excess of  CO 2 released into the atmosphere.
As a result, all the  excess CO2 in the atmosphere is trapping lot of energy in the form of heat
from the Sun and this is the reason for global warming.
Hence, natural occurance of  CO 2 is beneficial to life on the Earth. However it has way back
crossed the natural permissible levels and is hazardous to release more and more  CO 2 into
the atmosphere.
