Global warming news: Trees absorbing more CO2 than previously thought

Perhaps this scientific discovery is the reason there has been an 18-year halt in global warming.

From the Telegraph:

Global warming may not be damaging the Earth as quickly as feared after scientists found that plants can soak up more carbon dioxide than previously thought.

According to researchers, climate models have failed to take into account that when carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere, plants thrive, become larger, and are able to absorb more CO2.

As part of the carbon cycle, plants use light to photosynthesise carbon dioxide, turning it into carbohydrate to grow and releasing oxygen as a waste product.

Now a team at Wyoming University has found that carbon dioxide stays in leaves longer than previously thought, acting as a fertilizer and accelerating plant growth.