Friday, April 07, 2006

Cleaner air may be contributing to “Global Warming”
Or maybe it’s just a brighter sun

Or at least that’s what this report presented by the BBC says. Seems dirty air of the ‘50s. ‘60s and ‘70s reflected sunlight back into space lowering the amount of sunlight reaching the surface of the globe. The greenhouse effect caused some of the heat produced by the sunlight that did make it through and that action countered the reflection of sunlight. Now that things are cleaner, the “extra” sunlight is having a greater impact.

Then there’s this report, from 1998, that says any warming we are experiencing is due to increased energy output from the sun.

(Both articles found on today’s Drudge Report.)

Sunspot activity runs on an 11-year cycle.
The last Solar Maximum was predicted for 2000 (according to this article). Peaks are not single spikes. Rather they may have as many high points as a range of mountains.
The last Solar Minimum occurred in 2005 yet it was fraught with solar activity in August and September.
Sun's String of Fury Continues as 7th Major Flare Erupts

When it comes to nature, the environment, and climate, scientists are very, very good at counting things that have happened. Sometimes they can even tell you why they happened. They aren’t so hot when it comes to making predictions when the variables number in the dozens.

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