a cranky gas

Carbon dioxide indirectly causes up to 50% more global warming than originally thought…

“we do not want to be alarmist here”

But if people are thinking about stabilizing CO2 at a certain atmospheric level, or putting together a treaty, or having a debate about what the levels should be, it really is important to know what the long-term consequences of those emissions are going to be, because CO2 hangs around for so long.