Harnessing Earth’s natural cycles to reverse climate change

On average, fossil fuel emissions do not alter the planet's temperature for a full decade after being emitted.Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and the resulting repercussions will continue to increase, even if we stopemissions entirely today. Climate scientist Tom Green offers a metaphor, "When you overfill a bathtub, you don't expect turning the tap down to empty the tub. Similarly, cutting emissions will not be sufficient: we need to removecarbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It is this removal of CO2 that scientists, like Green, are prioritizing as they strive to save our planet from irreversible damage. Carbon dioxide does not inherently pose a threat to our environment due to the planet's ability to recycle and utilize the compound . The release of greenhouse gasses, including CO2, occurs naturally through decomposition, volcanic venting, and forest fires. However, the industrial burning of fossil fuels has quickly accumulated CO2 in our atmosphere in harmful amounts.