Global Whining

When I was a young lad (yeah, yeah, I know), 30 years ago plus, I subscribed to a magazine called "Speed and Power". Besides telling me about such awesome weapons systems as the new Jaguar and MRCA (Tornado) aircraft, it was full of highly informed scientific warnings of the forthcoming Ice Age, yes, Ice age!! Northern Europe was once again going to be plunged into a frozen wasteland that would see glaciers reappear in Scotland after a 100,000 year absence. Politicians were deeply alarmed. Hmmmm

Scientists have always been, usually correctly, held in high regard but I harbour strong fears now that their "conclusions" are designed to hit political buttons thus engendering further funding, the real raison d'etre of some eminent modern scientists!! My analysis of the science behind Global Warming suggests it is far from the "done deal" we are constantly told it to be. Indeed, in a (linked throwback to "Speed and Power" above) our current level of global warming is not only not that unusual in even relatively short geological terms, but the human contribution is almost certainly swamped by that of the Sun. Sunspot activity happens on an approximate 11 year cycle and is clearly considered a major factor in current climate conditions by a number of scientists. Sadly these people are being shouted down by opportunistic politicians and unscrupulous scientists seeking further funding with the effect of stifling debate. This I abhor.

The bottom line is that, whatever the causes of so called "Global Warming", the answers are probably scientific and not remotely political so let's not sully the debate with weasel political cant. Planet Earth experiences cycles beyond our influence and beyond our timescales, let's not get so up ourselves as a species that we think everything that happens on a planetary scale is to do with us. It's an effing big and seriously complex universe out there.