Scientists create synthetic life.

[Loki_999]

.... and removing CO2 from the atmosphere.

That would be incredibly stupid....

However critics, including some religious groups, condemned the work, with one organisation warning that artificial organisms could escape into the wild and cause environmental havoc

Sure it could escape, but it is still DNA based. It would then just fall into natural competition with existing living things. This is very normal. The scary thing would be if they created a new neucleonic acid (or even something more different) that was used for the basis of life. Common wisdom suggests that as DNA is already established then any non-DNA based life would have an almost impossible time supplanting it..... but maybe it could, or maybe it could happily coexist competing for resources. Certainly an interesting possibility.

or be turned into biological weapons.

Of course! Does that mean we shouldn't continue research? We use fire, sticks, nuclear energy, etc as weapons... but they can also be used for the good of life as well. Let's all go back and live in caves.... although I think some of the more extreme types would be happy with this.

Others said Venter was playing God.

Why not? God apparently played at being human (ie: Jesus). Why should he have all the fun? Really though, its a natural scientific experiment. May as well say that generating electricity is playing God as well... after all, doesn't God cause lightning?

Bah!