a term taken from climate science and loosely meaning the change in net irradiance at the tropopause. The change is computed based on unperturbed values, as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as the measured difference relative to the year 1750, the defined starting point of the industrial era. Positive forcing (increased incoming energy) tends to warm the system, while negative forcing (increased outgoing energy) tends to cool it.
