Question

Why is the excess of carbon dioxide harmful in the air?

Answer 1

Excess carbon dioxide in the air is harmful because:

1. Carbon dioxide has the property of absorbing heat. When its concentration increases excessively due to human activities like industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, and deforestation, it traps more heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, disrupting the delicate balance of heat absorption and reflection. This leads to global warming, causing a rise in Earth’s temperature and altering the climate drastically.
2. The increased global temperature can lead to melting of polar ice, rising sea levels, coastal flooding, and longer, hotter summers, which affect ecosystems and human life adversely.
3. Excess carbon dioxide also contributes to air pollution. Inhalation of polluted air rich in carbon dioxide and other harmful gases damages human health, especially affecting elderly people and those with respiratory conditions like asthma.
4. Deforestation reduces the number of plants and forests that otherwise absorb carbon dioxide. This imbalance results in accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, worsening global warming and climatic changes.

Therefore, excess carbon dioxide is harmful as it leads to global warming, climate change, and adverse health effects on living beings.