Is The Sun Causing Global Warming?

Recently, a documentary aired on the UK's Channel 4, entitled 'The Great Global Warming Swindle', which challenged the prevailing political understanding that global warming is caused by man-made activity.

The movie argues that it is in fact the sun that is responsible for the current changes in the Earth's temperature and the film is riddled with the testimony of many scientists and climate experts, furthering a growing dissent to the man-made theory. After all, that's all it is, a theory. As soon as people start to state that 'the debate is over', beware, because the fundamental basis of all sciences is that debate is never over, that questions must be asked and answered and issues raised in order for the science to be accurate.

So what exactly are the arguments behind the Sun being the main cause of global warming?

First off, it is very important to address the fact that Earth is not the only planet to be experiencing climate change in our solar system currently. In fact, many astronomers have announced that Pluto has been experiencing global warming, and suggested that it is a seasonal event, just like how Earth's seasons change as the various hemispheres alter their inclination to the Sun. We must remember that it is the Sun that determines our seasons, and thusly has a greater impact upon the climate than we could ever even try to achieve.

In May of 2006, a report came forward revealing that a massive hurricane-like storm that occurred on Jupiter may be caused by climate change occurring on the planet, which is expected to raise its temperatures by 10 degrees. National Geographic News reported that a simultaneous rising in temperature on both Mars and Earth suggest that climate change is indeed a natural phenomenon as opposed to being man-made.

The report further explains how NASA has reported that Mars' carbon dioxide ice caps have been melting for a few years now. Sound familiar? An astronomical observatory in Russia declared that, 'the Mars data is evidence that the current global warming on Earth is being caused by changes in the sun'. They further point out that both Mars and Earth have, throughout their histories, experienced periodic ice ages as climate changes in a continuous fashion. NASA has also been observing massive storms on Saturn, which indicate a climate change occurring on that planet as well.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has also been recording massive climate changes on Neptune's largest moon, Triton. Triton, whose surface was once made up of frozen nitrogen, is now turning into gas. The Associated Press has reported that satellites that measure the temperature of sunlight have been recording an increase in the sun's temperature, meaning that the sun itself is warming up.

Even the London Telegraph reported in 2004 that global warming was due to the sun being hotter than it has ever been in the past 1,000 years. They cited this information from research conducted by German and Swiss scientists who claim that it is increasing radiation from the sun that is resulting in our current climate change.

Olivier Chenet, a leading French scientist, who was among the first scientists to try to warn people of the dangers of global warming 20 years ago, now believes that 'increasing evidence indicates that most of the warming comes of natural phenomena'. Allegre said, "There is no basis for saying, as most do, that the "science is settled."

He is convinced that global warming is a natural change and sees the threat of the 'great dangers' that it supposedly poses as being bloated and highly exaggerated. Also recently, the President of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus said, when discussing the recent ruling by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), that global warming is man-made, '"Global warming is a false myth and every serious person and scientist says so".

It is not fair to refer to the U.N. panel. IPCC is not a scientific institution: it's a political body, a sort of non-government organization of green flavor. It's neither a forum of neutral scientists nor a balanced group of scientists. These people are politicized scientists who arrive there with a one-sided opinion and a one-sided assignment. And if you are about to ask why no politicians here seem to be saying this, Klaus offered up an answer, "Other top-level politicians do not express their global warming doubts because a whip of political correctness strangles their voice".

Rob Browne, the former editor of New Scientist, wrote an article in the UK Sunday Times, in which he stated, "When politicians and journalists declare that the science of global warming is settled, they show a regrettable ignorance about how science works." He further stated that, "Twenty years ago, climate research became politicised in favour of one particular hypothesis".

And in reference to how the media is representing those who dissent from the man-made theory he stated, 'they often imagine that anyone who doubts the hypothesis of man-made global warming must be in the pay of the oil companies', which is exactly what I believed up until I did my research. He also wrote, "Enthusiasm for the global-warming scare also ensures that heatwaves make headlines, while contrary symptoms, such as this winter's billion-dollar loss of Californian crops to unusual frost, are relegated to the business pages".

Wood Smoke/black Carbon Soot: a Major Cause of Global Warming

In the frenzied search for solutions to the global warming crisis, climatologists, policy makers and other concerned environmentalists have overlooked one of the leading causes of rising temperatures around the globe—soot---the black residue that coats fireplaces and darkens vehicle exhaust. Black carbon soot may in fact be the second largest contributor to global warming next to the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

According to Stanford environmental engineering Professor Mark Z. Jacobson, “Soot, or black carbon, may be responsible for 15 to 30 percent of global warming, yet it is not even considered in any of the discussions about controlling climate change.” (“Nature”, ScienceDaily, Feb. 9, 2001). Jacobson also observed that human beings produce most of the soot particles that pollute the atmosphere. He maintains that soot consists primarily of elemental carbon and that 90 percent of it comes from the consumption of fossil fuels (particularly coal, diesel fuel, jet fuel, natural gas, kerosene) and the burning of wood and other biomass. Jacobson also claims that a worldwide reduction in soot emissions and controlling biomass burning could quell the alarming pace of global warming and also reduce our reliance on soot-producing fuels.

Besides its impact on global warming, soot is bad for your health. The World Health Organization reports that approximately 2.7 million people die each year from air pollution and that reduction of wood and other biomass burning would mitigate global warming and would also save lives and improve people’s health.

Other studies have dispelled the myth that burning wood and other biomass is “green or carbon neutral” and that the fine particulates emitted during the combustion process actually hasten climate change. under both “Science” and “Global Warming” headings).

The warming effect of black carbon soot is far greater than previously estimated

Atmospheric scientist V. Ramanathan of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and University of Iowa chemical engineer Greg Carmichael found that “black carbon soot, from burning wood and other biomass, cooking with solid fuels, and diesel exhaust has a warming effect in the atmosphere three to four times greater than prevailing estimates.” (Nature Geoscience 1, 221-227 (March 24, 2008). They calculated that soot and other forms of black carbon particulates may represent as much as 60 percent of the current global warming effect of carbon dioxide and their findings correlated with similar studies from Stanford, Caltech, and NASA.

A simplified explanation for the warming effect is that wood smoke’s fine particulates thin clouds. And as total airborne particulates increase, cloud cover decreases, allowing more sunlight to reach the earth. According to Ramanathan, approximately 35 percent of black carbon in the global atmosphere comes from China and India. Yet per capita emissions of black carbon soot from the United States and some European countries is still comparable to those from Asia. Ramanathan's research also found that the warming effects of black carbon smog appear to be accelerating the melt of Himalayan glaciers, leading to early drying of a major source of drinking water for billions of people throughout Asia.

The International Global Panel on Climate Change (IGPCC) agreed that black carbon soot is a major contributor to global warming

The 2007 Nobel-winning IGPCC panel of approximately two thousand scientists concluded that black carbon soot has a dire atmospheric warming effect. This was significant because soot had previously been unaddressed as a major contributor to global warming. Nor had the amplification of black carbon’s warming effect previously been taken into account when mixed with other aerosols, creating additional secondary fine particulates.

Studies of fine particulates from wood smoke in various communities

An EPA study cites that “In some neighborhoods, on some days, 90% of the particle pollution is from residential wood burning.” (Jane Koenig and Timothy Larson, A Summary of Emissions Characterization and Non-Cancer Respiratory Effects of Wood Smoke, USEPA DOC #453/R-93-036,1-919-541-0888).

A study in two San Jose, California locations showed that wood smoke pollution was 4.4 times that of gasoline or diesel fueled vehicles. (“A Comparison of Source Apportionments of Fine Particulate Matter at Two San Jose, CA Locations,” from San Jose Speciation Trends Network.)

The next step

Because the urgency of reducing black carbon emissions cannot be overstated, reducing soot from wood smoke would offer nearly instant benefits in improving atmospheric conditions in the United States. It would also offer immediate societal and health benefits. This would facilitate political and regulatory momentum towards mitigation of black carbon emissions.

It is urgent to advance public awareness of wood smoke’s crucial role in global warming with education and policy changes.

For those interested in more scientific and educational data about wood smoke, . The Burning Issues site was founded in 1988 as a special particulate pollution project of the Bay Area Loma Prieta/Silicon Valley Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Prevent Global Warming

Today, ‘prevent global warming’ seems to be the necessity of the day. It is high time we noticed effects of industrialization on the planet. It is no more difficult to notice that global warming has been changing climate of the world. Large ice masses that initially adorned both the north and south poles are melting as a very fast speed. This shows warming is affecting us since the water levels will increase drastically. Melting of ice masses will also mean changing in climatic conditions all around the world. Effects of which will be difficult for humans and animals alike.

You can prevent global warming by uniting against it. It does not matter what your place of residence may be; however, you can contribute towards reforestation and help reduce green house gases and carbon dioxide considerably. You can also help in cooling the earth down substantially. Global warming is also the result of using fossil fuels like petrol, diesel, CNG, etc. with industrialization there has been growth in number of car owners, this has made global warming faster.

You can easily prevent global warming, you should use all those facilities provided to you consciously. A little saving of water, fuel, electricity, etc per person can make a lot of difference to our planet.

In order to prevent global warming there are several organizations which are working actively so they can increase forests around the world. Increasing forests is a good and a constructive alternative to solving this problem of global warming. It is true that rain forests and tropical forests around the world are being cut down to fulfill demand for wood and paper, this is causing deforestation. A simple solution to this problem is replanting the trees that have been cut off and letting these grow back again naturally. These lush green trees in the tropical rain forests have worked as lungs for all the world for ages. Reduction in these forests will accelerate the disaster brought in by global warming.

Several governments around the world are taking steps and implementing laws that will help curb production of green house gases and make the world a better place for our children. However, these laws will take time in being implemented. Till the time, these actually come into being, all world’s population can contribute a little more by planting trees around them and prevent global warming.

You will find concerns about global warming being echoed online too. In fact several organizations have opened their websites so that they can spread awareness about the current situation amongst general public. These organizations will also educate you about how a small contribution from you will make a ton of difference in world’s ecological climate.

You can contribute to this cause to as low as $10 just once, and a chunk of deforested land will be taken for reforestation so all its natural habitat can be restored. Such organizations generally specify the place where they are being carrying out reforestation so you can contribute and prevent global warming.

About Global Warming

About Global Warming
Nowadays, global warming are becoming heavier and heavier, many people are the victims of this environmental problem. It is the fact that global warming is going to lead to a rise in human-beings’ sickness and death. According to a report, owing to the climbing average temperatures, there are at least 20,000 Europeans in August in 2003.It’s an astonishing number for every person so that we should do some actions to solve this problem.
I think there are several key affected by global warming as follows:
AIR we are used to thinking of industrial and traffic pollution as having a detrimental effect on air quality.
WATER and INSECTS are also the problems of which can affect global warming.

Don’t deny it anymore; we need to stop global warming!
Don’t deny that we are causing global warming; we need to stop global warming before it is too late. America and other governments do not want to admit they are the cause because they do not want to pay to fix the problem. They are hoping Nature will fix the problem and it will all go away or they hope that our children or grandchildren can solve the problem. We need to incorporate that famous statement "The buck stops here" and fix the problem.
Facts to be accepted On Global Warming
Global warming is a realistic threat to the very existence of life on earth. The unprecedented rise in earth’s average temperature is a cause for worry. Moreover, the rise in temperature is projected to continue in the same rate, if some urgent steps are not taken immediately. Global warming has already affected the pattern of climate in many places. Many of the recent floods, hurricanes and tsunamis are known to be a direct result of this phenomenon. Global warming is also contributing to the gradual rise in sea level in many places around the world. A collective effort on the part of all us is what is needed to stop global warming.
Can Global Warming Usher in the New Ice Age?
It’s quite possible that global warming may cause the new Ice Age. This paradox can be explained briefly in that the Gulf Stream current and the North Atlantic Drift (both are major warm-water currents in the northern hemisphere in the Atlantic Ocean) heat up the air around them which in turn prevents the temperature from dipping precipitously. However, with the currents being salt-based and with the rising temperatures causing massive ice melts, the onslaught of fresh water will dilute the salt therefore eliminating the warming effect of the two currents. Once these currents are shut down, the temperature will drop precariously in the northern hemisphere thus possibly ushering in another Ice Age.

Causes Of Global Warming

The majority of the scientific community believes that global warming is a real threat to the world as we know it today. They believe that global warming mostly results from the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from human activities such as industrial processes, fossil fuel combustion, and deforestation.

There are many causes of global warming. One cause is carbon dioxide that is made from the burning of fossil fuels from power plants for the purpose of electricity generation. Coal makes up 93% of these emissions. Coal emits 1.7 times more carbon per unit of energy when burned than natural gas and 1.25 times more carbon than oil. Consequently, natural gas gives off 50% less carbon dioxide for the same amount of energy produced. Another cause is carbon dioxide that is made from the burning of gasoline in internal-combustion engines of cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, and jeeps. Poor gas mileage is considered the main culprit here. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2000 Fuel Economy Guide, a new Dodge Durango sports utility vehicle (with a 5.9 liter engine) that gets 12 miles per gallon in the city will emit around 800 pounds of carbon dioxide over a distance of 500 city miles; this translates to 19.6 pounds of carbon dioxide emitted into the air for every gallon of gas a vehicle consumes.

Another cause of global warming is carbon dioxide that is made from commercial trucks, contributing another 13% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions.

Carbon dioxide that is made from airplanes is another cause of global warming - the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that aviation causes 3.5% of global warming, with a projection that it will rise to 15% by 2050.

Another cause of climate warming is carbon dioxide that is emitted by the structure of buildings, accounting for another 12% of carbon dioxide emissions.

Methane is another cause of climate warming, as methane is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. According to the IPCC, methane is 20 times more effective than CO2 in trapping heat in the atmosphere. US Emissions Inventory 2004 levels of atmospheric methane have risen 145% in the last 100 years. Sources of this rise in methane include rice paddies, bovine flatulence, bacteria in bogs, and fossil fuel production.

Another cause of global warming is nitrous oxide, a colourless, non-flammable gas with a sweetish odour. It is naturally produced by oceans and rainforests, while it is also artificially produced in nylon, nitric acid production, agricultural fertilizers, cars with catalytic converters, and burning organic matter.

Deforestation is also one of the causes of global warming, the second-leading cause only to carbon emissions. Deforestation is responsible for 25% of all carbon emissions entering the atmosphere, as 34 million acres of trees are burn and cut each year. The destroying of tropical forests alone emit hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year.

City gridlock is another global warming cause. According to an annual study by traffic engineers from Texas A&M University, drivers in Los Angeles and New York alone waste 600 million gallons of gas annually while just sitting in traffic. That translates into around 7.5 million tons of carbon dioxide that is emitted into the atmosphere. And remember, just two major U.S. cities are named, not to mention the rest of the U.S. and the world.

Another global warming cause is just the amount of carbon already in the Earth’s atmosphere naturally, as 750 billion tons of carbon are present. Add in another 800 billion tons of carbon that is dissolved in the surface layers of the world’s oceans.

As you can see, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are the major causes of global warming. You can also see there are many sources of these gases, especially carbon dioxide. Much work needs to be done in order to address all the causes of global warming.

Global Warming Facts

These days, there seems to be a lot of controversy about Global Warming.

Some say that Global Warming is a fact, others say it's not. But regardless of whether or not Global Warming is a fact, let's step aside from the arguments on the subject, and take a common-sense approach.

In this article we will take a look at some of the issues involved.

What is Global Warming?

We can take a look at the definition of global warming - without taking sides or getting into vested interests, political motivations, reasons, or causes.

The definition of global warming in its purity is "an overall increase in world temperatures." As you can see, whether this has to do with greenhouse emissions, or whether it is caused by a natural phenomena, has no bearing on whether there is an average temperature increase.

Is There an Overall Increase in World Temperatures?

Alright, now we can take a look at what scientists say about world temperatures.

Again, we are going to leave out the reasons why, and simply look at whether or not the Earth's general temperature is rising.

According to NASA scientists, the average temperature of the earth rose by one degree Celsius, over the last century. This is based on actual measurements taken with exact measuring instruments.

Another report, compiled and submitted by 600 scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, issued the following statement:

"Warming of the climate system is unequivocal."

These 600 scientists sifted through thousands of studies and reports, in order to come to the above conclusion.

Even scientists who are "opposed" to the global warming theory are not contradicting the fact that the earth's temperature is rising. These scientists are only saying that global warming is a natural phenomena, and is not caused by man.

The Causes of Global Warming There are several factors that could contribute to or influence global warming.

Greenhouse gases are gases that prevent heat from escaping from the Earth's atmosphere. A few examples of greenhouse gases are:

• Carbon Dioxide - A minor but important part of the Earth's atmosphere. Carbon dioxide prevents heat from escaping the earth, by blocking the infrared radiation reflected off the Earth's surface from leaving the atmosphere.
• Methane - A gas produced through the decomposition of waste (in landfills, animal waste, and decomposition of food in human and animal digestive systems). It is created by the production and distribution of natural gas, oil and coal. It is also is produced by incomplete fossil-fuel combustion.
• Nitrous Oxide - Another gas produced through the use of commercial fertilizers, natural fertilizers, and fossil fuel combustion (cars, airplanes, and conventional power plants, to name a few).
• Chlorofluorocarbons - Commonly referred to as CFC gases, these are produced primarily by our industries, and are used for products such as, styrofoam, spray-can propellants, refrigerants, electronic circuit boards, and many more.
• Water Vapor - This is a completely natural gas, caused by the sun evaporating water from our oceans.
  

As you can see, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are produced mainly by human resources, whereas chlorofluorocarbons are exclusively produced by industrial installations.

Out of all the above, interestingly enough, the greenhouse gases which have the largest effect on global warming are water vapors. This fact will no doubt please all critics of the "global warming theory".

You have to keep in mind, however, the cyclic effect of global warming. A slight increase in temperature will increase the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, which in turn will increase the temperature, and so on. Thus, a slight effect created by other greenhouse gases has a much larger impact, due to the creation of additional water vapor in the atmosphere.

Greenhouse Gases: Facts and Figures

let's go over some facts and figures here. Again, keep in mind that these are measurements taken by scientific tools. They are not statements for or against global warming.

• The amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has increased by 25 percent since the early 1800s. Ten percent of this increase has occurred between 1958 and the present day.
• There are two main factors that responsible for the increase of carbon dioxide. The leading cause is the burning of fossil fuels. Next in line is deforestation.
• Methane content in the world's atmosphere increases at a rate of 0.6 percent per year, by current measurements. The atmospheric methane content is now more than twice as high as it was before the Industrial Age, which started in the early 1800s.
  

The Effects of Global Warming

I am not the doom-and-gloom sort of person, so I am going to spare you the details here. But I do have an opinion on this subject, so I will share it with you.

Regardless of whether the globe is warming or not, it is simply common sense to take care of the environment you live in.

The plain truth of the matter is that carbon monoxide is unhealthy, methane makes for unpleasant breathing, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere is no laughing matter.

While the lack of ozone might make for faster tanning at the beach, the long term effects are not as desirable.

What You Can do About Global Warming

Believe it or not, you are important - what you do and say is listened to by others, and does make a difference. It doesn't require a lot of effort to do something about conditions in the environment. A little extra care will go quite a long way. Many are already doing it, and all of us need to get aboard.

It starts as simply as recycling your waste, saving energy where you can, or even planting a tree.

Man-made Global Warming is Tulip Bulb Mania

Global warming research has become a very big business throughout the world. Each year billions of dollars are spent studying climate change. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), now has an annual budget that has reached more than $136 million. The Bush Administration has spent more than thirty billion dollars on federal programs involved in global warming in the last six years. In total, global warming proponents are estimated to have been funded by more than fifty billion dollars during the last decade.

This huge money stream is flowing directly into the pockets of the advocates of man-made global warming. It is a river of money that can only be shut off if it is discovered that man does not cause global warming and that climate change is really out of our control. In effect, the same people that benefit from the huge research funding pool would have to be motivated to shut it off.

The truth is that the business objective of the man-made global warming bandwagon is an increasing flow of scientific research grants and bureaucratic jobs. The worse the man- made global crisis, the better for the global warming business. In addition, the news media loves stories of fear. This makes man-made global warming a big business for television, magazines, and books as well.

Various "experts" on man-made global warming appear regularly on television to remind everyone of the upcoming global climate catastrophe in the next century. Unfortunately, its not in the interest of the media to cast doubt on man-made global warming. It is a very good business for them. The fact is that very little news media coverage is given to research that brings into doubt the so-called scientific man-made global warming consensus.

Therefore, it is not surprising that we have not heard much from the news media on the recent blockbuster report (December 2007) in the prestigious International Journal of Climatology (Royal Meteorological Society), of professors: David H. Douglass (of the University of Rochester), professor John R. Christy (of the University of Alabama), Benjamin D. Pearson and professor S. Fred Singer (of the University of Virginia). In this report the scientists found: "that observed patterns of temperature changes over the last 30 years disagree with what greenhouse models predict and can better be explained by natural factors, such as solar variability". Their conclusion was that climate change is "unstoppable" and cannot be affected or modified by controlling the emission of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, as is proposed in current legislation.

Dr. S. Fred Singer, said: “The current warming trend is simply part of a natural cycle of climate warming and cooling that has been seen in ice cores, deep-sea sediments, stalagmites, etc., and published in hundreds of papers in peer-reviewed journals. "Our research demonstrates that the ongoing rise of atmospheric CO2 has only a minor influence on climate change. We must conclude, therefore, that attempts to control CO2 emissions are ineffective and pointless — but very costly."

The news media has also not made us aware that data (2005) from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Odyssey missions revealed that the carbon dioxide "ice caps" near Mars' south pole had been diminishing for three summers in a row. This means that both the Earth and Mars have been experiencing similar degrees of global warming. Of course, the problem for the man-made global warming crowd is that there are no humans on Mars for them to blame for that planet's warming.

In a National Geographic story on February 2007, Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of space research at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, says the Mars data is evidence that the current global warming on Earth is being caused by changes in the Sun. He reasons that "The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars."

The man-made global warming industry should remind us of the tulip bulb mania in Holland in 1636. The history books tell us that in 1593 tulips were brought from Turkey and introduced to the Dutch. The novelty of the new flower made it widely sought after. After a time, the tulips contracted a non-fatal virus known as mosaic, which altered them causing different colors to appear on the petals. The color patterns came in a wide variety and increased the popularity of the flower.

The increase in popularity of the tulip led to a rise in its price. Soon everyone began to deal in tulip bulbs. It became a very big business. Eventually things became so crazy that people were selling everything they owned, including their homes and livestock, to buy tulip bulbs. At the time, the consensus expectation was that the tulip bulb would continue to grow in value forever.

In 1636, tulips were listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange which further accommodated the tulip speculators who had become the primary market for tulip bulbs. The price of a tulip bulb at the height of this mania was $76,000. In the next six weeks tulip bulbs would drop in value to less than one dollar.

Today, man-made global warming is similar to the tulip bulb mania in Holland in 1636. It is an issue that has been hyped into a huge business. The absurd consensus in Holland in 1636 was that tulips were so unique that they would continue to increase in value forever. The current global warming crowd wants us to believe that global warming is controllable and man-made. There is no conclusive evidence that global warming is man-made and all contrary evidence is dismissed and ridiculed. We are told that we must act now to save the planet or our world will be lost to a multitude of catastrophic events in the future.

The inconvenient truth of all this is that, like the Holland tulip bulb in 1636, man-made global warming hype has entered the world of the absurd. We may think the price of $76,000 for a tulip bulb in Holland was silly. However, how silly is it when compared to the global warming hype of today? Indeed in the future people will look back with humor on a decade when tens of billions of dollars were spent in an attempt to convince society that the warming of Earth was due to man and not a function of the Sun.