Published: April 15, 2009 05:21 pm      

Solar flares could be climate culprit

The issue of global warming is taking center stage in our country. It is all ready affecting us in many ways, including the exclusion of coal fired power plants, and the proposal of very large taxes on, “greenhouse gases.”

It seems as though one who is not a scientist has to bow down to prevailing scientific opinion, and might we add also, political opinion.

The term “greenhouse gases” itself, seems to say there are gases which cause a greenhouse effect. That term tips the scales towards the idea that these atmospheric gases cause global warming.

As I look out my dining room on Tuesday the 7th of April, I can see a great deal of “greenhouse gases.” They are the clouds that block the sun.

I understand that these gases consist of about 92 percent water vapor, 3 percent C02, 2 percent methane, and other gases. The C02 caused by man is a small percentage of that. The amount this country could reduce atmospheric C02 under the most rigorous conditions is about 1 part in 12,000. That amount is unlikely to be achieved.

A likely reason for global warming or cooling is the activity of the sun itself. The sun is the source of the vast amount of heat we receive on this earth. A change in the sun’s activity can cause differences in global warming and cooling very readily.

There seems to be a direct correlation between the number of solar flares or sunspots, and the temperatures on the earth. There was one year when there were very few solar flares and it was said, the state of Maine had no summer that year.

Some of these flares go out hundreds of thousands of miles. Some scientists believe that there are various rays from solar activities which react with our atmosphere, and allow more heat to come in.

Edward G. Schrage

Bluefield