The world of CO2
Everything about CO₂, weather and climate, the greenhouse effect and the role of CO₂ in our lives
CO₂ – Life in Balance
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is all around us. Without CO₂, there would be no life on Earth as we know it. Through respiration, it is an important part of our metabolism that keeps us alive. Plants, algae and bacteria need it to grow, and they form the foundation of our nutrition. In natural quantities, CO₂ is one of the greenhouse gases that make our home planet warm and habitable.
At the end of the last glacial period 11 700 years ago, the climate became warmer and more stable, while the CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere remained largely constant. Thanks to these stable environmental conditions, humans were able to become sedentary, cultivate crops and raise livestock, laying the foundations for our civilisation. At the same time, this led to an increasingly intensive utilisation and overuse of natural resources – from land and animals to valuable raw materials.
Our challenge
As a far-reaching consequence of human activities, large quantities of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases have been released into the atmosphere for around 200 years. They are causing temperatures to rise and changing the climate. But a reliable, stable climate is crucial for our society.
Let’s keep it CO₂OL
… so that CO₂’s contribution to global warming goes back within its natural limits, and human-caused emissions do not jeopardise our livelihoods.