Without plants, Earth would cook under billions of tons of additional carbon
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 - 13:31
in Earth & Climate
(Phys.org) —Enhanced growth of Earth's leafy greens during the 20th century has significantly slowed the planet's transition to being red-hot, according to the first study to specify the extent to which plants have prevented climate change since pre-industrial times. Researchers based at Princeton University found that land ecosystems have kept the planet cooler by absorbing billions of tons of carbon, especially during the past 60 years.