James A. Marusek, nuclear physicist and engineer, presents a clear and easily understood paper (9 Mar 2004), on the Internet, that debunks global warming theory as presently accepted. It is my opinion that many competent and honest scientists agree with him but competent and honest scientists have a hard time being heard.
He understands that the earth is living within an Ice Age, (1—2 million years) in which it experiences Global Cooling Events every 1,000 to 1,500 years. Ice cores have demonstrated this. The theory refers to these events as "extinction boundaries," periods in which cosmic rays from supernova produce short intense periods of radiation at the planet’s surface followed by long, less intense periods (hundreds of years). After it passes this phase our Earth will experience a long period of calm (maybe 80 million years) in which life will flourish better than it has in the past. Then as our solar system passes through a spiral arm of the Milky Way we will experience another "extinction boundary." This theory is accepted by astronomers and is the basis for his discussion.
He suggests that modern Global Warming theory is only a few decades old, that billions have been spent without turning up a strong support for it and evidence has been building up to reject it. It has been taken over by antihuman ideologists and politicians and made into a fear-based religious belief. In true science, evidence is found that supports theories; this one is no longer scientific at all. The Earth is presently experiencing a warming trend caused by a supernova, and we are coming out of the Little Ice Age that began in the early 1300’s.
The theory states that mankind has caused carbon dioxide levels to rise, which raises global temperatures uncontrollably. The increase in carbon dioxide is true but the fact that water evaporates, rising above the carbon dioxide and releasing heat into space is ignored.
Carl Sagan theorized that the elevated temperature of Venus (850 degrees) was brought about by a runaway global warming process and suggested this is happening here. He assumed that the sunlight on Venus was trapped by the atmosphere of the planet and ignored the fact that the energy heating that planet’s atmosphere includes radiated thermal energy released from the planetu2018s interior. The elevated temperature on Venus is not due solely to solar radiation but also to magma-released heat. The carbon dioxide level on Venus is 96.5%. On Earth it has risen from 0.028% to 0.036%. It is a real stretch to compare the Earth with Venus.
Another element focuses on the destruction of forests and pollution from factories and automobiles. To understand this one must realize that forest acreage has been expanding and pollution levels have been declining, particularly in North America. And much of carbon dioxide action takes place in the oceans.
385 million years ago Earth had an atmosphere with 10 times the present carbon dioxide levels. Those elevated levels did not produce runaway global warming then; there is no reason to assume they would do so today. Plant life thrives under enriched carbon dioxide levels and is responding to this increase.
To summarize, a strong link between carbon dioxide levels and global temperatures has not been established, the idea of runaway warming is not supported, comparing us to the planet Venus is inappropriate, the impact of the oceans has not been investigated adequately, forests are growing and pollution is coming under control. Global warming (climate change) is natural, is not caused by man, and is something to be lived with.
Note: the Auburn-Opelika News fired me as a columnist for expressing such politically incorrect views. But I have just a slightly larger readership on the worldwide LRC.
