The carbon cycle has been going on for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years. A very long time ago photosynthetic bacteria used carbon dioxide to fuel their respiration releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. Plants are also able to absorb carbon dioxide and release the air we breath. It is this process that helps make life possible. In the twentieth century humans have expelled more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than that the plants and trees can use. This have created the controversial topic known as "global warming."
The gas phase is the most popular form of carbon dioxide but it also can come in the solid form of dry ice. When dry ice is exposed to our ambient room temperature it sublimes creating what looks like smoke.
I highly agree with your statement stating that often times carbon dioxide often gets a bad wrap. Since humans only think of carbon dioxide as a waste production of respiration it doesn't enough credit. In order for plants to create the oxygen we breath (a plant's waste product), the must be able to convert carbon dioxide in order to create a byproduct of oxygen. Interesting that you picked such a common, simple compound but how vitally important it is to our existence. Good topic!
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