Global Warming

[J. T. Toad]

if this rhetorical, I apologize.

"Since increased sunspot activity is correlated with higher solar energy output it is possible that Earth climate temperatures in recent decades have been higher due to increased solar radiation hitting the Earth.

Because the brightness of the Sun varies slightly with solar activity, the new reconstruction indicates also that the Sun shines somewhat brighter today than in the 8,000 years before. Whether this effect could have provided a significant contribution to the global warming of the Earth during the last century is an open question. The researchers around Sami K. Solanki stress the fact that solar activity has remained on a roughly constant (high) level since about 1980 - apart from the variations due to the 11-year cycle - while the global temperature has experienced a strong further increase during that time. On the other hand, the rather similar trends of solar activity and terrestrial temperature during the last centuries (with the notable exception of the last 20 years) indicates that the relation between the Sun and climate remains a challenge for further research.

We are in an unusually long period of increased Solar activity. So an eventual decline seems highly likely. What we do not know is what will happen to Earth's climate when the Sun's output finally does decline. Depending on how far it declines cooling could become a bigger risk than warming. But we can't predict whether that will be the case. But human technology will advance so far in the next few decades that large scale climate engineering to cancel out either a warming or a cooling will become feasible. So either way I do not think we need to be deeply concerned in the short run."

http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/002432.html