Manmade global warming? WRONG!

The greatest failure of science in our modern age is its lack of voice in the global warming debate. For years global warming has been shoved down our throats by green-interest groups, energy companies and Al Gore (yes, he gets his own category).

I would venture a guess to say that most people in America believe that global warming is the fault of mankind, but did you know that there are many scientists out there that disagree with this? More importantly, did you know there are many scientific facts that have surfaced to completely refute the theory of manmade global warming? I would guess that you didn’t because environmentalists have shut down the debate. They have set up a state of fear, a “Green Inquisition,” saying that anyone who confronts their religion of global warming is a heretic and must be in the pocket of oil companies.

Well, I am going to blow up this theory with something that the greens seem to have forgotten about: facts.

I could talk about the inaccuracy of surface-based temperature stations, which doesn’t take into account the urban heat-island effect. I could point out the advance of glaciers that is occurring at the same time as the melting of glaciers. I could also talk about the pathetic Kyoto Treaty, sea levels, the lack of scientific consensus, weak hurricanes, developing countries or that manmade carbon dioxide (CO2) makes up 0.28 percent of all greenhouse gases.

But instead I will keep it to the biggest myth, which is the key to the manmade theory of global warming.

History has shown that CO2 drives temperature: FALSE!

Historically, CO2 has never been the driver of temperature. In fact, there is evidence that the opposite is true. According to a study done by the National Academy of Sciences, the “comparison with the geologic record of climatic variations reveals no obvious correspondence (between CO2 and climate).” In fact, it goes on to show that the three highest peaks of CO2 concentration occurred when the Earth was either partially or completely in a cool era. Therefore, the fundamental basis for the entire theory of manmade global warming is false.

Even forgetting this fact, recent history has proved this wrong as well. In fact, from the late 1940s through the ’70s we had a cooling trend. This cooling trend was so severe that scientists were worried about the next ice age. In fact, even as recently as 1992 we thought we had a new ice age on our hands. Newsweek reported that “the advent of a new ice age, scientists say, appears to be guaranteed. The devastation will be astonishing.”

What could be causing the increase in temperature (though scientists debate that fact and whether it is even a bad thing) are the occurrence of natural weather cycles like El Nino and – most interesting to me – variations in the sun. A report done on the relationship between solar irradiance and temperature variations in the Artic, undertaken by Willie Soon, astrophysicist with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, showed that “temperature patterns show a strong correlation to the energy output of the sun.”

Now I’m not scientist, but if solar irradiance is correlated to temperature and we have no effect on the sun, then I’m pretty sure it’s the sun running the show. When you think about it, that giant ball of fire has been the cause of weather on our planet for the past 4.5 billion years, so it’s really not that surprising.

There, now you have been educated. Next time someone tries to preach their global warming message to you, try not to punch them in the face, especially if it’s your professor.

Taylor Scott is a business senior, a member of the Cal Poly College Republicans and a conservative columnist for the Mustang Daily.