Plants and People

Have you thanked a green plant today? Plants are of enormous
benefit to humans. As a matter of fact people and all other animals
are totally dependent on plants for their existence.
Plants are the only living organisms that are able to convert light
energy into chemical energy. In the process of photosynthesis,
carbon dioxide and water—in the presence of light—are made
into simple sugars, which are the essential building blocks for
all life as we know it and for nearly all sources of fuel energy,
such as wood and the fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. In
addition, the energy stored in sugars is the only source of energy
to sustain living organisms. Without green plants, all animal life
would cease to exist. Yet, food from crops is only one of the
many plant products useful to people.