Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that traps heat and warms the planet. Because of the burning of fossil fuels, the amount of CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere is higher than it has been in at least one million years.

Nature mitigates carbon and reduces some of the effects of climate change: Plants, trees, and algae in the ocean turn CO2 into oxygen through photosynthesis, and the ocean absorbs and stores CO2 in ocean sinks. But nature cannot withstand the rising levels of human-produced emissions. Consequently, Earth and the people on it have experienced the effects of climate change, such as more frequent and intense weather events.

That is why, in addition to efforts that reduce emissions through decreased fossil fuel use, scientists, engineers, and policy makers are pursuing techniques to decrease the CO2 that reaches and stays in the atmosphere and oceans.

Learn more about these science-based solutions in this video.

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