TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The carbon dioxide obtained from such sources is hydrogenatively converted to methanol or derived products by catalytic, photochemical or electrochemical processes. The methanol is produced by hydrogentatively converting the carbon dioxide to form a reaction mixture that containing besides methanol formic acid and formaldehyde, followed, without separation of the reaction mixture, by a treatment step conducted under conditions sufficient to convert the formaldehyde and formic acid to methanol. The method comprises reacting the formaldehyde with co-formed formic acid as a hydrogen source, without separation of the reaction mixture, into methanol, including reacting of the formic acid with methanol to form methyl formate, followed by hydrogenating the methyl formate under conditions sufficient to form double the amount of methanol. The hydrogen needed for the hydrogenation of methyl formate is obtained at least some part from cleavage of the formic acid from the reaction mixture. The hydrogen needed for the hydrogenative conversion of carbon dioxide is obtained by reforming of methane or natural gas or by electrolysis of water using an available energy source. The available source of carbon dioxide is an exhaust stream from a fossil fuel burning power or industrial plant or a source accompanying natural gas and the available source would otherwise be released into the atmosphere or stored by sequestration underground or in the seas. The available source of carbon dioxide is the atmosphere with the carbon dioxide obtained by absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide onto a suitable adsorbent followed by treating the adsorbent to release the adsorbed carbon dioxide. The adsorbent is treated by heating to release the adsorbed carbon dioxide. The adsorbent is treated by subjecting the adsorbent to reduced pressure to release the adsorbed carbon dioxide. The utilizing further comprises dehydrating methanol under conditions to produce dimethyl ether; and using the dimethyl ether as or to generate a fuel; and recycling carbon dioxide formed by combusting such a fuel under conditions. The method further comprises utilizing the methanol or dimethyl ether as convenient energy storage and transportation materials in order to minimize or eliminate the disadvantages or dangers inherent in the use and transportation hydrogen, liquefied natural gas (LNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). EXAMPLE - Carbondioxide is electrochemically reduced in aqueous solutions over gold and related catalysts at the cathode to carbonmonoxide and hydrogen. The carbonmonoxide and hydrogen mixture (syngas) is catalytically converted to methanol.