Global warming ‘just a natural cycle’

Global warming comes and goes in 1,500 year cycles which may have more to do with cosmic rays than fossil fuel emissions, according to a new book.

If the genuine warming now being seen is caused by human emissions of carbon dioxide, it would have started earlier, according to the book by two veteran American climate sceptics, Fred Singer and Dennis Avery.

Mr Avery, who was in London yesterday, said: “If this were a CO2 driven warming it should have started in 1940 and risen strongly from there. In fact warming started in 1850 and rose sharply until 1940 then decreased for 35 years.”
Dr Richard Betts of the Meteorological Office’s Hadley Centre for Climate Change said: “The key argument among sceptics has moved away from denying that there is man-made climate change to saying that it is weaker than mainstream science has suggested.

“It is very well understood that greenhouse gases do cause radiative forcing. The work on cosmic rays is still quite speculative. The forthcoming report by IPCC next month will be the most reviewed document in the history of science. It is the IPCC process to review all the literature with an open mind. Many sceptics are involved in the process.

It’s good to have the debate. It makes sure that the rest of us are certain about what we are doing.”

Telegraph