Skeptics of climate change claim again and again that in the absence of soaring temperature and whatever they deludedly think global warming constitutes, the theory is complete baloney. In yet another blow to their arguments, a paper published by McGill that statistically examines climate patterns in the past FIFTEEN years deals another blow to their arguments. Professor Shaun Lovejoy explains:
In a paper published this month in Geophysical Research Letters, Lovejoy concludes that a natural cooling fluctuation during this period largely masked the warming effects of a continued increase in man-made emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
The new study applies a statistical methodology developed by the McGill researcher in a previous paper, published in April in the journal Climate Dynamics. The earlier study -- which used pre-industrial temperature proxies to analyze historical climate patterns -- ruled out, with more than 99% certainty, the possibility that global warming in the industrial era is just a natural fluctuation in the earth’s climate.
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Since levels of greenhouse gases have continued to rise throughout the period, some skeptics have argued that the recent pattern undercuts the theory that global warming in the industrial era has been caused largely by man-made emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.
Lovejoy’s new study concludes that there has been a natural cooling fluctuation of about 0.28 to 0.37 degrees Celsius since 1998 -- a pattern that is in line with variations that occur historically every 20 to 50 years, according to the analysis. “We find many examples of these variations in pre-industrial temperature reconstructions” based on proxies such as tree rings, ice cores, and lake sediment, Lovejoy says. “Being based on climate records, this approach avoids any biases that might affect the sophisticated computer models that are commonly used for understanding global warming.”
There you have it. McGill has not only ruled out in the past with 99% certainty that global warming is just a fluctuation of the earth's termperature, they have just proven that yes, global warming is happening, it is just being masked by a global cooling period that come and gone even back in the pre-industrial era. In light of this new approach to looking at climate change, it's even clearer why we can't afford to limit our scope and rely on shortsightedness when arguing climate change. California, based on a poll from this month by the Public Policy Institute of California,
shows us the potential repercussions:
Back in 2006, when California adopted its landmark law to fight climate change, the move drew support from across the state’s political spectrum — left, right and center. And the level of support was remarkably consistent, with 67 percent of Democrats, 68 percent of independents and 65 percent of Republicans in favor of the law. After all the law, known as AB32, was signed by a Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
That consensus is gone. Today, 81 percent of California Democrats and 62 percent of independents back AB32. Among Republicans, only 39 percent do.
There you have it people. When it comes to the future wellbeing and inhabitability of our planet, I hope the people calling the shots keep up to date. Especially those who will still jump on any meager study that finds some contrived way to deny climate change.
But I guess the most important thing to ponder about is, even in light of a global cooling period that has largely masked the effects of climate change, we are still seeing large repercussions. What happens when that grace period is over or ends up getting reversed?