Since the Industrial Revolution, increased use of fossil fuels has been strongly linked with economic growth. In recent years, many scientists L have argued that carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion are likely to make the earth's climate warmer, and some have argued that the consequences could be disastrous. Global climate change and policies to slow it or adapt to it may be among the primary forces shaping the world's economy throughout the next century and beyond.

© 1993 JEP