The research aimed to figure out why the Earth warmed between 1950 and 2000. The scientists found that the rise in a type of chemicals called CFCs likely caused most of the warming, not the high levels of CO2 in the air. They studied Earth's natural heat release, checked temperature data, and analyzed how different gases affect the planet's ability to let out heat. Their calculations suggest that CFCs were the main reason behind the global temperature increase during that period. They predict that the Earth might start cooling in the long run, staying cooler for the next few decades.