You’re right, but this opens some other interesting avenues of discussion!

As to CO2 levels stimulating plant growth, this is true but with an important caveat. Current research suggests that plants grow bigger and faster in a high-CO2 environment, but they contain significantly fewer nutrients. Another issue is that the potential benefits of a warming climate will disproportionately accrue in already rich, industrialized Northern countries. This means, perversely, that there is less incentive for the most powerful countries to act — even though they are the ones that might best effect change.

As for the lower-than-expected warming, there is speculation that it may be a delayed effect (for example, due to the ocean absorbing heat) rather than an avoided consequence. But this is a very valid question.

Overall, the biggest problem is that the rate of change has the potential to significantly overwhelm the speed that many natural ecosystems can react and adapt. That said, I completely agree that a discussion of climate change needs to include a consideration of all the possible effects and how we can accommodate them, because it’s very likely we won’t avoid them. The problem is that this trends into less settled and more speculative areas of science.

Thanks for your thoughtful response!