How to Reduce Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a colorless gas that is present in the air. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is affected by manmade processes such as fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and power plant emissions. Anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide have a significant impact on global warming.

Reducing Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere

Oceans play a vital role in absorbing the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere. As absorption of carbon dioxide by ocean is a slow process and can take hundreds of years, this process cannot keep pace with the huge amount of the gas emitted every day. Plants use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis for sugar production. Therefore, another natural way to control the increasing ratio of carbon dioxide is to maintain forests. The following can also be used to reduce the anthropogenic emission of carbon dioxide.

• Plant trees and preserve the rain forests.
• Operate power plants with improved technology to reduce the fuel input.
• Capture the gas before reaching the atmosphere and store it in underground cavities.
• Encourage people to promote energy efficient practices such as insulating the house, and reducing the use of refrigerator, washing machine, and water heater.
• Encourage the use of public transportation facilities instead of private vehicles.