THE ROLE OF CO2IN THE EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM AND THE POSSIBILITY OF CONTROLLING FLOWS BETWEEN SUBSYSTEMS
K e y w o r d s
energy sector, carbon dioxide sector, carbon dioxide emissions, photosynthesis, carbon dioxide sequestration, biofuels
A b s t r a c t
This article describes CO2flows in the Earth’s ecosystem. It also describes how CO2is 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 CO2concentrations and the anthropogenic modification of natural flows between the various subsystems in the Earth’s ecosystem.