Is CO2 really a pollutant?

Question

Is CO2 really a pollutant?

Answer 1

In direct answer, yes, carbon dioxide is a pollutant. The important thing to remember about this greenhouse gas, is that it is not the worst greenhouse gas. Water vapor is. More heat is held in by water vapor than by any other greenhouse gas. That being said, controlling our CO2 production, but this whole carbon footprint c**p is stupid.

P.S. I am an environmental consultant. I deal with this stuff all the time.

Answer 2

A little salt on a slice of apple may taste great but half apple and half salt is a little much.  CO2 is a pollutant (caused by men, etc.) only if it is too much for a healthy environment.

Answer 3

Where did you hear this? Pollutant is a relative term used for what you mean at that particular moment...It's a greenhouse gas, so it 'pollutes' the atmosphere by trapping heat.

Answer 4

no..but u can't breath it..

but co is very dangerous...

Answer 5

CO2 is a greenhouse gas, but concentrations due to human activities have skewed the atmospheric playing field.  From the last link below:

"CO2 emitted into the atmosphere today will influence its atmospheric concentration in the years to come, since the time taken for atmospheric CO2 to adjust to changes in sources or sinks is in the order of 50-200 years. CO2 is the largest individual contributor to the enhanced greenhouse effect, having a positive forcing value of about 1.56Wm-2 (or 60% of the total) over the period 1765 to 1999."

So, based on what is happening since the industrial revolution and with a growing human population, the answer to your question is yes.

Answer 6

Not exactly.

CO2 is an important part of the natural ecosystem. Humans produce around 3% of the CO2 in the atmosphere. Of course we produce much more than the amount we breathe out, so you could say that our output is higher than it naturally would be if we didn't have cars/factories/ect. Whether or not this extra CO2 is actually doing harm is an issue without a clear answer. So do your best to not pump out extra CO2, even if its just to save money on energy costs.

Answer 7

Maybe yet to be proved but for now,the answer is a big "NO".What i know from my little knowledge in gases,CO is dangerous but CO2 is not.

Answer 8

To answer this we must first define what pollution means. Pollution "is the introduction of contaminants into an environment, of whatever predetermined or agreed upon proportions or frame of reference; these contaminants cause instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms therein."

So to answer this question we need to look at a few factors -

1. Has CO2 been introduced into the atmosphere? (i.e. by humans)

2. What frame of reference are we going to use?

3. Does CO2 cause any of the above consequences?

1. This is tied with 2. Quite simply, yes. CO2 has been introduced into the atmosphere by anthropogenic (human) activity, i.e. the burning of fossil fuels. This really started in the industrial revolution, with the heavy use of coal as a fuel, and has continued as we consume oil today. As such, it would be appropriate to use CO2 levels before industrial revolution - which is considered by climatologists to be a "natural" level - i.e. humans didn't really affect it prior to the industrial revolution. This level is approximately 280ppm (parts per million). Presently, CO2 levels in the atmosphere are at ~385ppm. Therefore, broadly speaking, about 26% of the CO2 in the atmoshpere is attributed to human input. It is (relatively) safe to say that any non human increase in that period, given relative climate conditions is negligable. We can probably attribute the extra 105ppm to human activity.

So, we have established that CO2 has been introduced to the atmosphere and has risen by a set amount from a frame of reference.

However, does it cause any of the consequences described above?  Quite frankly, yes. CO2, along with methane, are principle agents in trapping heat in the atmosphere, leading to an increased greenhouse effect, or what the media describes (quite erronously, mind you) as global warming (global climate change would be more appropriate). These increased temperatures in sea surface temperature and atmosphere since the industrial revolution (and to a greater extent, in the last several decades) have had a profound impact on the biosphere. We can see how ice in the Arctic and Antarctic are receeding at record rates, and how cyclones and hurricanes are becoming more destructive and frequent.

So, to summarise, yes, CO2 is effectively a pollutant. However, it is somewhat different to a lot of pollutants that many people think of, say pumping toxic waste into a lake, or an oil slick- the effects are immediate, and often dramatic on a local scale. CO2 input into the atmosphere has occured gradually, though it's effects have been no less profound.