The Sun Also Sets
It is, of course, heresy in some quarters to discuss global warming as caused by anything other than carbon emissions, but what the heck, let’s reference such a discussion. A group of Canadian (as if national origin matters) scientists is considering an alternate view: fluctuations in solar activity. It’s worth a read to remind ourselves that other thinking people have different views of climate change and variation. One thing is sure: these guys cannot be popular with the carbonists.
I’m not a climate scientist, but just a consumer of information like everyone else. Maybe carbon is the culprit for recent temperature changes, maybe not. But no matter to which view you subscribe, it’s important to at least try to listen to the other side in good faith. But with the massive momentum carbon has in this discussion, these guys are going to have a tough time being heard, let alone listenened to.
One thing I do find appealing in their work is that it lets me off the hook as a human being. If they’re right, I can take one problem off the long list of ecological, political, and cosmological problems that are my fault as a respirating homosapien. What a relief. I could use a break.
[tags]global warming,solar fluctuations[/tags]
Update: 3/14/2008 We run across another group of researchers who believes recent global warming is caused not as much by “anthropogenic” greenhouse gases as by decades-long fluctuations in solar output. This group does not attempt to refute that greenhouse gases contribute to global warming, but they do argue that the effect of solar fluctuations could account for as much as 69% of the recent temperature rise on Earth. 69% is a big number, and the value depends on the model used. But if the model has validity, it would certainly affect how (possibly read: whether) nations deal with carbon emissions.
