Includes bibliographical references and index.

We take carbon for granted so much that we rarely consider how carbon's amazing properties lead to its ubiquity in the energy and fabric of life and human civilization. And yet we are now trying to decarbonize. This book gives an overview and analysis of some of the most pressing challenges and considerations in the area of decarbonization of economies. It does so from the perspective of chemistry and biology, and comes to the conclusion that we are likely to do more environmental damage by breaking free from carbon than if we embrace the impressive capacity that carbon-based energy-carriers and materials have for creating circular economies with zero net CO2 emissions. Biology has done this sustainably for 3.5 billion years, and we must learn from that enormous lesson.