Carbon dioxide is not the knob controlling global warming

By Michelle Stirling-Anosh

CALGARY, AB/ Troy Media/ May 25, 2015 – – Atmospheric scientist Dr. Judith Curry told the U.S. Senate on Jan 16, 2014 that, in light of the extended ‘hiatus’ of 15 years (to 2012) with no appreciable global warming despite a significant rise in carbon dioxide, it is clear that carbon dioxide is not the knob that controls global warming. Natural factors are clearly more influential.

The biggest and most obvious natural factor is the sun. According to Israeli astrophysicist Dr. Nir Shaviv, solar physics receive only nominal attention in the climate change reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Dr. Shaviv will be presenting “Solar forcings and climate change past and present” in Calgary at the Red and White Club on June 2, 2015.

IPCC’s skewed climate change results

Shaviv’s blog “Sciencebits” explains how he too once assumed carbon dioxide was the ‘knob’ of climate change – but a closer look revealed this was not so. Further astrophysical work demonstrated to him that the sun is the main driver of climate change.

Dr. Shaviv explained to me recently that the “Total Solar Irradiance” is the main solar factor reviewed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), although in fact this so-called ‘solar constant’ is highly variable. The numerous other solar influences are excluded from IPCC reporting – leading to skewed results that, until recently, have given the impression that carbon dioxide from human industrial activity drives climate change. Dr. Shaviv says carbon dioxide is a minor player.

Shaviv is an award-winning scholar; in 2003 Discover Magazine named his galactic climate research number 34 of the top 100 science stories of 2002.

Dr. Shaviv referred me to the pioneering work of John Eddy in identifying the solar influence on climate. To my surprise, NASA has just issued a summary of Eddy’s work on Kindle entitled: The Sun, the Earth and Near Earth Space. Eddy’s skills as an excellent teacher are evident in this highly readable book.

So what does this mean for Alberta – now at the crossroads of a change in climate change policy?

When we look at the UK and EU, where stringent carbon reduction policies were implemented almost a decade ago, we find that millions of people have been pushed into ‘heat-or-eat’ poverty due to rising power prices. As temperatures rarely go below minus 5 degrees Celsius there, what would it mean for Albertans in a minus 40 degree C/F winter?

In the EU and UK, the power grid capacity is uneven and fails frequently due to an onslaught of renewable wind and solar – allegedly to reduce carbon dioxide and thus ‘stop climate change.’ But wind and solar output fluctuates wildly, causing power surges and drops that result in blackouts. Industry has thus been subsidized – with taxpayers’ funds – to turn off operations at peak demand times.  Unfortunately, there was no relevant reduction of carbon dioxide, with industry moving its carbon intense operations offshore.

Why does industry ever agree to carbon taxes or cap and trade? It wants to maintain access to institutional investors which hold some $95 trillion in investment funds. These institutional investors are required to ‘comply or explain’ as signatories to the UN Principles for Responsible Investing.

When we look at this big picture, we find unelected, unaccountable, offshore forces swaying investment markets on the basis of skewed, highly politicized ‘climate catastrophe science’ from the IPCC. Look who profits, and how, from crazy climate change policies.

Money spent on climate change mitigation wasted

We’ve spent over $1.9 trillion dollars world-wide since 2012 on climate change mitigation, with no environmental benefit and at great cost to millions of taxpayers.

Maybe it is time to overhaul the IPCC – or just dismantle it. Canada’s cold winters and vast transportation needs will always make us a victim in climate change negotiations. We should not agree to play against a stacked deck, especially when the evidence shows that carbon dioxide is not the knob on global warming or climate change.

It’s the sun. Ask an astrophysicist like Dr. Nir Shaviv.

Michelle Stirling-Anosh is the Communications Manager of Friends of Science.

References:

Judith Curry U.S. EPA Testimony Jan 16, 2014

• http://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=07472bb4-3eeb-42da-a49d-964165860275
• http://www.amazon.ca/The-Earth-Near-Earth-Space-Comprehensive-ebook/dp/B00E4PZPUC
• http://history.nasa.gov/SP-402/contents.htm
• http://www.economist.com/news/business/21575771-environmental-lunacy-europe-fuel-future

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