Let's examine the data ...
-The global temperature trend has been flat for almost 17 years.
-All major global data sets show cooling since 2005 (or before).
-Global sea ice has returned to normal for most of 2013.
-No increases in any extreme weather events are seen in long term data.
-Without adjustments the SLR has been decelerating.
The only way to explain the recent lack of warming is to try and factor in natural climate factors. However, once that is done it becomes apparent that those natural events were behind most of the warming of the late 20th century. A Pacific ocean cycle known as the PDO provides an index for ENSO variability. This cycle was in its warm mode from 1975-2005 and the switch to global cooling occured right when the PDO flipped into cool mode.
When the ENSO variability is taken into account the amount of warming due to GHGs is significantly reduced. In fact, all that is left is about .05C/decade. With this in mind we could expect at most around .4C of additional warming by the year 2100. Why would any intelligent society waste trillions solving a non-problem?
But it gets worse ... the planet has been warming for over 300 years. Long before any significant GHG emissions. If this warming continued through the late 20th century then ALL of the warming is explained and nothing is left for GHGs.
Finally, a reduction in sun spots during recent solar cycle 24 may be a harbinger of things to come. Many solar scientists are predicting a repeat of the Maunder Minimum which lasted many decades and saw substantial cooling back in the 17th century. Should this repeat it could be disastrous for agriculture without the added CO2 we have been adding for decades. The CO2 could actually save millions (if not billions) of lives.
-The global temperature trend has been flat for almost 17 years.
-All major global data sets show cooling since 2005 (or before).
-Global sea ice has returned to normal for most of 2013.
-No increases in any extreme weather events are seen in long term data.
-Without adjustments the SLR has been decelerating.
The only way to explain the recent lack of warming is to try and factor in natural climate factors. However, once that is done it becomes apparent that those natural events were behind most of the warming of the late 20th century. A Pacific ocean cycle known as the PDO provides an index for ENSO variability. This cycle was in its warm mode from 1975-2005 and the switch to global cooling occured right when the PDO flipped into cool mode.
When the ENSO variability is taken into account the amount of warming due to GHGs is significantly reduced. In fact, all that is left is about .05C/decade. With this in mind we could expect at most around .4C of additional warming by the year 2100. Why would any intelligent society waste trillions solving a non-problem?
But it gets worse ... the planet has been warming for over 300 years. Long before any significant GHG emissions. If this warming continued through the late 20th century then ALL of the warming is explained and nothing is left for GHGs.
Finally, a reduction in sun spots during recent solar cycle 24 may be a harbinger of things to come. Many solar scientists are predicting a repeat of the Maunder Minimum which lasted many decades and saw substantial cooling back in the 17th century. Should this repeat it could be disastrous for agriculture without the added CO2 we have been adding for decades. The CO2 could actually save millions (if not billions) of lives.
