Should Carbon Dioxide Be Treated as an Air Pollutant? - Paper Example

Carbon dioxide is a colorless and odorless gas which has a density 50% higher than the density of dry air. Carbon dioxide consists of a single carbon atom that is covalently bonded to two oxygen atoms. Carbon dioxide is used by plants to manufacture carbohydrates using chlorophyll which is the primary source of energy in many food webs. Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, and the discussions about it being a pollutant have no substance concerning this naturally occurring gas. Although large amounts of carbon dioxide have some adverse effects on the environment, it is not a pollutant to the environment when in relative amounts as many people are misled to believe, but it has many benefits such as the creation of food by plants as well as other industrial purposes (Morgan et al., 2016). Carbon dioxide cannot be treated as an air pollutant because the levels of carbon dioxide in the air are regulated by plants and animals. The plants use carbon dioxide released by animals to create food which is used by animals.

Primarily, carbon dioxide is not a pollutant but a naturally existing gas which a vital element for photosynthesis in plants. The gas has existence in the atmosphere for many years, and there has been no indication that it will be destructive climatically if its levels double or triple the current levels. As a vital element of photosynthesis, it is the primary component of the food chain. Its increase in the atmosphere creates a greener planet and therefore the green surroundings we see would vanish if there is no carbon dioxide (Raymond et al., 2013). Also, this gas is a product of every living thing and a respiratory product for all plants as well as essential for plant life as it helps plant in making their food.

Similarly, atmospheric carbon dioxide is essential for life on both plants and animals. It is the only source of carbon in all the carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and other organic compounds which are instituted in living things. Plants extract their carbon from the atmosphere, therefore, are fertilized, while animals acquire their carbon from consuming the plants. Without this gas, no life would exist on earth as carbon dioxide is one constituent which makes life possible together with oxygen and water.

Moreover, carbon dioxide is the primary substrate that allows life to continue on earth. Both plants and animals depend jointly on each other as the healthy existence of plants governs our own. They are below animals in the food chain hence when they use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis making their energy; animals consume the plants directly thus gaining their energy. Additionally, the gas has a lot of importance to the natural surrounding as it helps in reforestation, cultivation, and plant growth. Housing expenses will be lesser because of rapid plant growth and more habitation for wild species will be existing. Food prices will be reduced because of higher agricultural harvests from carbon dioxide fertilization (Morgan et al., 2016). Carbon dioxide is the product of our breathing and is used in several applications like refrigeration agent, fire extinguishers, fizzy drinks, baking soda, life jackets, and many industrial uses.

Conclusively, to tag carbon dioxide as a pollutant is a harm to a gas that has played a crucial role in the sustainability and development of all life on this earth. It leads to biodiversity and a prosperous life as it is the ordinary part of our atmosphere essential for survival both as food and a waste-product. Carbon dioxide benefits, therefore, surpasses its perceived harm to the environment which dismisses it as a pollutant but a very important element that is used to sustain life on earth.

References

Morgan, J. A., Parton, W., Derner, J. D., Gilmanov, T. G., & Smith, D. P. (2016). Importance of Early Season Conditions and Grazing on Carbon Dioxide Fluxes in Colorado Shortgrass Steppe. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 69(5), 342-350.

Raymond, P. A., Hartmann, J., Lauerwald, R., Sobek, S., McDonald, C., Hoover, M., ... & Kortelainen, P. (2013). Global carbon dioxide emissions from inland waters. Nature, 503(7476), 355-359.