PLANTS - Without plants, Earth would cook under billions of tons of additional carbon

(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 ...

http://phys.org/news/2013-10-earth-cook-billions-tons-additional.htm