CO2 - what is it?

Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. It is referred to by its formula CO₂. It is a non-toxic gas which is set to contribute to the greenhouse effect and thus to global warming. Other greenhouse gases are water vapour (H₂O), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and Fluorocarbons (PFC, HFC).

Despite the fact that the global warming potentials of CH₄, FCs and N₂O are respectively 21, 100 and 310 times higher than CO₂, greatest attention is paid to CO₂.

Every living aerobic organism produces CO₂ while breathing. CO₂ is also produced during the burning of various fossil fuels. This burning or combustion process is a very complex sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between fuel and an oxidant, accompanied by the production of heat and light in form of either glow or flames.

A typical combustion reaction is:
CH₄ + 2O₂ → CO₂ + 2 H₂O + heat

In simple words: Fuel + Oxygen → Heat + Water + Carbon Dioxide
While burning 1 liter of diesel fuel, 40.9 MJ of energy and 2647g of CO₂ are produced

Atmospheric carbon dioxide derives from multiple natural sources including volcanic out gassing, the combustion of organic matter such as decomposing trees and the respiration processes of living aerobic organisms.

Man-made sources of carbon dioxide come mainly from the burning of various fossil fuels, including diesel fuel.

The use of fossil fuel varies from country to country. However, figures taken from the UNFCCC reporting system for the Kyoto protocol for developed countries show that fossil fuel is mostly used for heating and power generation:

While power generation and heating contribute to over 50% of the CO₂ emissions, these are areas were viable alternate energy sources exist already today with low CO₂ emissions.