We have a new mission: to save the world's media from embarrassment.

We want to teach the world some basic science, one word or phrase at a time.

Let's start with carbon dioxide. The chemical formula is CO₂. First note that CO₂ is the chemical formula, not the abbreviation (that would be CD, wouldn't it?).

So, it's capital C (the chemical symbol for carbon, an element), capital O (the chemical symbol for oxygen, another element), not a zero, then a subscript 2 to indicate that there are two atoms of oxygen in the molecule. The digit should always be subscript, not on the line and never superscript.

To make this clear, the following are all wrong: CO2, C02 and CO².

Reticent is often used when reluctant or hesitant would be more appropriate. 

Reticent means taciturn or uncommunicative:

He was reticent about his wartime experiences.

You can't be reticent to do something:

They were reticent to agree.

would be better phrased as

They were reluctant to agree.

Note the spelling. It's not Plexiglass.