THE popular view on global warming is that the sun has had a negligible influence on climate – at least over the last few decades compared to carbon dioxide. But taking into account the entire range of possible total solar irradiance (TSI) satellite composite since 1980, Nicola Scafetta, just published in Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, concludes that the solar contribution to climate change could range from a slight cooling to a significant warming, as large as 65% of the total observed global warming.
Here’s a short extract suggesting the science is far from settled:
“DETERMING how solar activity has changed on decadal and secular scales is necessary to estimate the solar contribution to climate change. Unfortunately, how solar activity has changed in time is not known with certainty.
“Direct TSI observations started in 1978 with satellite measurements. For the period before 1978 only TSI proxy reconstructions have been proposed. These TSI proxy models significantly differ from each other, in particular about the amplitude of the secular trends. [Read more…] about Total Solar Irradiance: Recalculated by N. Scafetta
“ROSE Robins (Petroica rosea) love to winter at our place on the western side of the Darlington Range in the south-east of Queensland. But come spring and they are off like a rocket to the Lamington Plateau or the New England Ranges to nest.” Jim Inglis
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.