Carbon Dioxide

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-004156",
  "term": "Carbon Dioxide",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. A naturally occurring gas, and also a by-product of burning fossil fuels and biomass, as well as land-use changes and other industrial processes. It is the principal anthropogenic greenhouse gas that affects the earth's radiative balance. It is the reference gas against which other greenhouse gases are measured and therefore has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 1.\n\n2. A colorless, odorless, non-poisonous gas that exists in trace quantities (less than 400 parts per million) within ambient air. Carbon dioxide is a product of fossil fuel combustion. Although carbon dioxide does not directly impair human health, it is a greenhouse gas that traps terrestrial (i.e., infrared) radiation and contributes to the potential for global warming.\n\n3. A naturally occurring gas made of carbon and oxygen. Sources of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere include animals, which exhale carbon dioxide, and the burning of fossil fuels and biomass.\n\n4. A colorless, odorless greenhouse gas. It is produced naturally when dead animals or plants decay, and it is used by plants during photosynthesis. People are adding carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, mostly by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. This extra carbon dioxide is the main cause of climate change.\n\n5. A colorless, odorless, and tasteless product of combustion. All combustion processes and human metabolic processes are sources of CO₂. Concentrations of CO₂ from people are always present in all occupied buildings, and at concentrations normally found in buildings, CO₂ is not a health hazard.\n\n6. A naturally occurring gas, and also a by-product of burning fossil fuels and biomass, as well as land-use changes and other industrial processes. It is the principal human caused greenhouse gas that affects the Earth's radiative balance. It is the reference gas against which other greenhouse gases are measured and therefore has a Global Warming Potential of 1. See climate change and global warming.\n\n7. A colorless, odorless, non-poisonous gas that is a normal part of the ambient air. Carbon dioxide is a product of fossil fuel combustion. Although carbon dioxide does not directly impair human health, it is a greenhouse gas that traps terrestrial (i.e., infrared) radiation and contributes to the potential for global warming. See global warming.\n\n8. A colorless, odorless, nonpoisonous gas which results from fuel combustion and human activity indoors. Elevated levels of CO₂ indicate ineffective ventilation indoors.\n\n9. CAS 124-38-9. A colorless, odorless, non-poisonous gas that is a normal part of the ambient air. Carbon dioxide is a product of fossil fuel combustion. Although carbon dioxide does not directly impair human health, it is a greenhouse gas that traps terrestrial (i.e., infrared) radiation and contributes to the potential for global warming.\n\n10. A colorless, odorless, incombustible gas, present in the atmosphere and formed during respiration, usually obtained from coal, coke, or natural gas by combustion, from carbohydrates by fermentation, by reaction of acid with limestone or other carbonates, or naturally from springs.\n\n11. A naturally occurring gas, and also a by-product of burning fossil fuels and biomass, as well as land-use changes and other industrial processes. It is the principal human caused greenhouse gas that affects the Earth's radiative balance. It is the reference gas against which other greenhouse gases are measured and therefore has a Global Warming Potential of 1.\n\n12. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is an atmospheric gas that is a major component of the carbon cycle. Although produced through natural processes, carbon dioxide is also released through human activities, such as the combustion of fossil fuels to produce electricity. Carbon dioxide is the predominate gas contributing to the greenhouse effect, and as such is known to contribute to climate change.",
  "abbreviation": "CO₂",
  "synonyms": [
    "CO2"
  ],
  "subject": "Air",
  "references": [
    "Clean Energy Glossary",
    "Greening EPA Glossary",
    "Acid Rain Glossary",
    "Student's Guide to Global Climate Change",
    "Indoor Air Quality Glossary",
    "Glossary of Climate Change Terms",
    "Greenhouse Gas Emissions",
    "I-BEAM Glossary of Terms",
    "Greenhouse Emissions Glossary",
    "USGS Energy Resources Program Energy Glossary & Acronym List",
    "Green Power Markets Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/carbon-dioxide/"
}