At www.physorg.com/print189845962.html a new study has debunked a previous hypothesis suggesting the existence of a link between solar flares and changes in the earth’s global temperature. Between 2003 and 2008 Scafetta and West analysed data that seemed to show solar flares influence temperature (published in Physical Review Letters) but the new research, published in the same journal, re-examined the data and found shortcomings. They actually accused Scafetta and West of designing their tests with the purpose of proving a wanted result – a quite incredible piece of name calling by an AGW orientated piece of research that everybody knows is funded by that lobby with a single sole purpose. This paper is quite damning of the earlier research – and you can almost visualise the angst amongst the AGW advocates when Scafetta and West’s findings were published. This response shows they did not like it – not one little bit. Worse, Scafetta and West are perceived virtually as bedfellows of the sceptics – and open to common fire. Basically, the bottom line is that if Scafetta and West were right and then AGW was wrong – and it isn’t is it?
I like the add-on, the sun is not responsible for recent warming. However, it is a funny thing that the period 1998-2002 coincides with heavy solar flare activity and that actually coincides with the warmest years recorded – and since solar flares have become quiet and conspicuous by their absence the global temperature has been flat (as admitted by Phil Jones live on the web). That is not to say other factors do not come into play – obviously they do.