We use oxygen for our metabolic processes and breathe out the waste as carbon dioxide. Plants also respire like this, BUT they also use carbon dioxide as the basis for fabricating sugars and starches. Over time, they tend to absorb more carbon dioxide this way than they expire from "breathing".
So long as we do not produce too much extra carbon dioxide this is one of the main ways that the planet balances these things.
However, what with us chopping down forest, enlarging deserts AND producing loads of carbon dioxide (e.g. By burning fossil fuels) things have gone out of balance and if we let it tip much further we are all going to be in a lot of trouble.
Given time, carbon monoxide will take on another oxygen atom and become carbon dioxide without any intervention from us.
So long as we do not produce too much extra carbon dioxide this is one of the main ways that the planet balances these things.
However, what with us chopping down forest, enlarging deserts AND producing loads of carbon dioxide (e.g. By burning fossil fuels) things have gone out of balance and if we let it tip much further we are all going to be in a lot of trouble.
Given time, carbon monoxide will take on another oxygen atom and become carbon dioxide without any intervention from us.