According to an analysis by Scafetta and West published in the March edition of Physics Today (subscription required), the Sun 'could account for as much as 69% of the increase in Earth's average temperature.'

Article title: “Is climate sensitive to solar variability?” By Nicola Scafetta of Duke University Physics Department and Bruce J. West of the US Army Research Office, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

Excerpt: "Thus the average global temperature record presents secular patterns of 22- and 11-year cycles and a short time-scale fluctuation signature (with apparent inverse power-law statistics), both of which appear to be induced by solar dynamics. The same patterns are poorly reproduced by present-day GCMs and are dismissively interpreted as internal variability (noise) of climate. The nonequilibrium thermodynamic models we used suggest that the Sun is influencing climate significantly more than the IPCC report claims. If climate is as sensitive to solar changes as the above phenomenological findings suggest, the current anthropogenic contribution to global warming is significantly overestimated. We estimate that the Sun could account for as much as 69% of the increase in Earth's average temperature, depending on the TSI reconstruction used. Furthermore, if the Sun does cool off, as some solar forecasts predict will happen over the next few decades, that cooling could stabilize Earth's climate and avoid the catastrophic consequences predicted in the IPCC report."

This article is based on Scafetta and West's previously published peer reviewed papers.

Yes, I know Real Climate are exceedingly rude about this work and RC are entitled to their politically motivated views, just as Scafetta and West are entitled to theirs.  Source

Average user rating