But only about 16% of that mass of CO2 was ever "transported" in the first place: the carbon atom. The O2 part appears for free because it comes out of the air

But only about 16% of that mass of CO2 was ever "transported" in the first place: the carbon atom. The O2 part appears for free because it comes out of the air the fuel is burned in. And that oxygen wouldn't be transported with carbon capture either, it would just be vented into the atmosphere again. I mean think about it, we can't be emitting more waste than we are transporting, because that waste comes from fuel, and the fuel itself is part of what we're transporting.