[perl4ever]

I do not understand the concept that a property of a sum of a bunch of numbers somehow applies to those components.

Whether something is net zero depends on what you are adding it to; it's not inherent in that thing.

It's like, if you have a pile of blue things, then the pile is also blue. But other characteristics do not work that way. If you have a pile of things that each weigh 1 lb, then the pile does not weigh 1 lb.

[readams]

If you make a hydrocarbon by taking CO2 from the air, and you use a carbon free energy source to do it, then burning that hydrocarbon is net zero carbon. That is, if all your hydrocarbons that you burn were made this way, then the atmospheric carbon doesn't increase because of your activity.

It acts just like a battery.

[perl4ever]

You're not telling me anything I don't know.

Look at it this way, do you believe CO2 is basically fungible in the context of global climate change?

[lykr0n]

Exactly. It's not a solution, but it's a way to stop the problem from getting worse.

It's like moving from a variable rate credit card to a 0% loan. You still have this pile of debt you need to deal with, but you more or less stop the problem from getting any worse.