And what does a tree do with this energy? It's not a light bulb.
It uses the energy to split the oxygen off of the CO2, splits the oxygen of off water, and makes hydrocarbons from the C in CO2 and the H in water. The oxygen is released as waste (a small amount is used).
So all the energy used in a tree is devoted to making its mass.
My point again is not that CO2 doesn't become cell mass. It is that in elementary/high school, kids are not taught that. Kids do learn the concept of photosynthesis. They just learn the energy side and not the big picture. So the author's assertion that people use "photosynthesis" without knowing what it means is false.
It uses the energy to split the oxygen off of the CO2, splits the oxygen of off water, and makes hydrocarbons from the C in CO2 and the H in water. The oxygen is released as waste (a small amount is used).
So all the energy used in a tree is devoted to making its mass.