CO2 or carbon dioxide is a colorless gas consisting of carbon and oxygen. It occurs naturally in the atmosphere. Plants use it and animals produce it in respiration. It is also a major greenhouse gas emitted by fossil fuel combustion, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The term carbon cycle refers to the natural exchange of carbon dioxide gas in the environment, consisting of a number of processes. Plants remove it from the atmosphere by using it, along with water and sunlight, to photosynthesize their food. Humans and animals exhale CO2 as a waste product. It is both absorbed and released at the ocean surface, and a relatively small amount is released in volcanic eruptions.
Burning fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas emits large quantities of CO2 gas into the atmosphere, according to the EPA. Cars, power plants, and industry around the world produce large amounts of CO2 and other gases, which are referred to as greenhouse gases, because they contribute to the gradual warming of the atmosphere.
The manufacture of certain products like ammonia, steel and cement release CO2 gas. Also, the breakdown or evaporation of plastics, lubricants, solvents release CO2, according to the EPA.
