Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring gas in the atmosphere. This chemical compound of a carbon atom and two oxygen atoms is used in the food, oil and chemical industries. We all have probably bought carbonated drinks. Many fire extinguishers are filled with non-flammable carbon dioxide.

Cellular respiration is a process that releases carbon dioxide as an end product when an organism break down sugars, fats and amino acid with oxygen to obtain energy. This is part of our metabolism and is necessary for us to survive.

Through biological, chemical or physical processes, carbon dioxide is captured from the atmosphere. It may also be captured as a by-product of petroleum refining-related processes.

While it has economic importance and needed in our world, too much carbon dioxide has been blamed as a cause of global warming. Burning of fossil fuels is the main source of carbon dioxide. Other gasses which also have global warming potentials include methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and fluorocarbons.

Carbon storage and sequestration has been proposed as a means to reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. However, many do not agree on this process as it makes the factory more complicated. More capital is also required to equip the factories or plants with the carbon sequestration devices.

A simple solution is to plant trees. This sounds so cliche but it is a sustainable way of reducing carbon dioxide.