Science: Warming Earth?

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But if the burning of fossil fuels continues to increase at an annual rate of 3% to 4%, as scientists like Stephen Schneider of the National Center for Atmospheric Research consider likely, then the greenhouse effect may well prevail. In that case, it will be a hot time on earth. And once the warming has taken place, even if all discharges of CO2 into the atmosphere could be abruptly halted, it would take centuries for the excess gas to be absorbed by the oceans and dwindling forests.