This would be true in a system in equilibrium. Although, as you point out, we are not at equilibrium, and so it's possible that the carbon storage won't be repl

This would be true in a system in equilibrium. Although, as you point out, we are not at equilibrium, and so it's possible that the carbon storage won't be replaced if (for example), the burn rate increases. Also, in our case, the lag matters too.