argee posted on December 15, 2009 12:56
This is a post I placed on Open Parachute (click to view in context):
I would like to add some clarity to the Climate Change Discussion. My name is listed in the above list of scientists who do not accept anthropogenic climate change. First, by way of a disclaimer, I would not characterize myself as a practicing scientist. My qualifications for entering this discussion are that in 1981 I spent 13 months at the South Pole in charge of NSF climate data collection. As such, I participated in the analysis, but was not responsible for publishing the results. That was done by the scientists in charge of the various projects.
ALL the data I and may others collected at that time pointed to human caused climate change. There appeared to be a measurable increase in global temperature, and there was absolutely no question that there was a distinct human element in the dramatic increase in CO2. Based on our understanding of basic climate models our understanding was that CO2 and other gases supported an atmospheric greenhouse, so that when humans dramatically increased CO2, we were directly responsible for any consequent increase in global temperature.
During the following decade something dramatic happened. Deep ice cores from both Antarctica and Greenland clearly indicated that historically temperature changes ALWAYS preceded CO2 changes, NOT the other way around, as we thought. Any scientist who has committed himself to following the data has no option but to readdress the entire problem. Since CO2 increases appear to be caused by increases in global temperature, (1) what is the mechanism for these CO2 increases? and (2) what is the mechanism for global temperature increases?
As to the first, the answer came quickly. As the atmosphere warms (from whatever source), the ocean also warms, and gives up some of its stored CO2 - voila! The source for CO2 that follows temperature increases.
As to the source for global temperature increases (and decreases), it turns out that these are primarily driven by four solar cycles ranging from about 1,500 down to eleven years. I won't go into the details here, but any reader is welcome to email me for further information.
Finally, a recent paper published out of Germany shows unequivocally that there is no atmospheric greenhouse. The entire concept is brought into question in this paper, as the authors clearly demonstrate with relatively basic physics that the underlying model used to explain BOTH a back-yard greenhouse and the so-called atmospheric green house, is completely wrong! Contact me for a copy of the paper - it is an eye-opener. (Science has been wrong in its assumptions before, and will be again. This is just one of those examples.)
The bottom line is that to those of us who are unequivocally willing to follow the data, there appears to be virtually no chance that humans have affected global climate in any meaningful way. Again, I solicit any interested readers to contact me directly for more information.