Cosmic rays behind climate change: Scientific American Report
Lazarus Sauti
Changes in solar activity, sunspots and cosmic rays and their effects on
clouds have contributed no more than 10 percent to global warming, according to
two British scientists.
The findings, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters,
reconfirm the basic science that increasing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases are causing most climate change.
The scientists also re-examine the alternative case made by climate
deniers: that it is the Sun’s changing activity and not us that is causing the
Earth to heat up.
Sloan at the University of Lancaster and Sir Wolfendale at the University
of Durham, conclude: “Neither changes in the activity of the sun, nor its
impact in blocking cosmic rays, can be a significant contributor to global
warming.
“Clouds and their role in keeping the Earth’s surface cool by reflecting
sunlight back into space have been one of the biggest uncertainties of climate
change science.”
Sloan said the paper reviews their work to try and find a connection
between cosmic rays and cloud formation with changes in global temperature.
Said Sloan: “We conclude that the level of contribution of changing solar
activity is less than 10 percent of the measured global warming observed in the
20th century.
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