The Fundamental Issue in Climate Science Resolved

It has been a long time in coming, but we can now say with some confidence what the answer is to the most important question in climate science. As is all too well known, the climate alarmists have one fairly uniform answer, which they claim is part of their “consensus.” Climate skeptics, on the other hand, have a very different but less uniform answer. Climate alarmists are “kind” enough to call anyone who disagrees with them “climate deniers” and generally avoid any real discussions with them.

But who is correct? It really matters since the world, mainly the developed world, is spending about $1.5 trillion per year according to one estimate on the assumption that the climate alarmists are correct, even though this has never been shown scientifically. $1.5 trillion per year could buy a lot of happiness and health for people living in the developed world if it were spent for other purposes such as medical care, schools, or essential public services, rather than burdening primarily the lowest income members of the population.

The Climate Alarmists Have Been Uniformly Wrong Although Some Skeptics Missed an Important Detail

Happily, the problem of who is right on the key issue has finally been resolved. The answer is that all alarmists and many but not all skeptics are incorrect according to a recent study. Most skeptics have been on the right track, but some have gotten an important detail a little wrong. Although there is a great deal more to be learned about many aspects of climate science, the fundamental issue has now been resolved: Changes in atmospheric CO₂ have no significant effect on global temperatures. As a result, the entire $1.5 trillion per year over many years should be written off as a waste of money and effort because of the insistence of alarmists that action must be taken before valid research was carried out.

Human-caused emissions of CO₂ never had much influence on atmospheric CO₂ levels, but since changes in atmospheric CO₂ levels have no significant effects on global temperatures, it really does not matter how much humans cause to be emitted. Further expenditures in support of reducing human-caused emissions of CO₂ are a complete waste. We will be stuck with monumentally expensive, ugly, bird and bat-killing solar and wind farms until they are eventually abandoned and taken down and disposed of at still more cost. The primary victims are those countries that invested most heavily in these technologies, particularly Western Europe and some states in Australia and Canada.

Some climate skeptics have been in error too since they believe that changes in CO₂ have minor effects on global temperatures, but not enough to cause the catastrophic temperature changes predicted by the climate alarmists. Although it is not entirely clear why there are actually no significant effects, we can now say that that is the case.

The Time Has Come to End Any Further Expenditures on “Green” Energy

Is it possible that this recent study is wrong? Of course, anything in science can be wrong. But it is unlikely since it has been peer reviewed by over ten very knowledgeable experts, and no major problems have been found after about six months of public availability. The wise course would be to halt any further investments in “green” energy unless an error should be proven in the study which confirms that the “consensus” conclusions are correct after all. There is certainly no reason to spend more money pursuing a previous waste of money, as the alarmists still maintain by ignoring the recent study and many previous studies summarized here.