Is there any reason that the observation that CO2 lags temperature is the natural cycle, and the relatively recent increase of CO2 by the burning of fossil fuels is mere coincidence with the latter stages of a rising temperature that began with the end of the last ice age. The greenhouse effect as occurs on earth depends on water, not CO2. The fact that water changes state at defined points and it's ability and efficiency of being able to store, transport and release large amounts of heat is the whole basis of the conditions that prevail on earth that allow life forms as we know them to exist. CO2 can generally exists in two states only, solid and gaseous, and unlike water is not an efficient means of transporting heat, has little ability to absorb incoming solar radiation, and limited ability to absorb outgoing thermal radiation. Water dominates in absorbing outgoing thermal radiation, and together with oxygen and ozone is mainly responsible for the absorption of incoming solar radiation.
