The role of CO2 in the Earth’s ecosystem and the possibility of controlling flows between subsystems

Abstract

This article describes CO2 flows in the Earth’s ecosystem. It also describes how CO2 is made use of in various market sectors - as a raw material in the synthesis of plastics and fuels, during extraction in the food and perfume industries, for the transfer of heat in heating and refrigeration systems, and in the breeding of genetically modified algae for the production of biofuels. Additionally, the article explores the possibility of reducing atmospheric CO2 concentrations and the anthropogenic modification of natural flows between the various subsystems in the Earth’s ecosystem.