I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling slightly confused by the contradictory newspaper headlines about global warming. These massive headlines overshadow other important green issues and generate an unhealthy apathy in pedantic, argumentative types.
Consequently it was lovely to read a report from the Institute of Physics which clarified things. Scientists have discovered that modern day climate change is NOT caused by the Sun’s activity.

As a scientist, I am happy to do a bit of research and follow the general consensus of the scientific community; but I was having real trouble wading through the vast sea of contradictory information.

The new research has dealt a blow to climate change sceptics who believe global warming is caused by solar winds. Previous evidence hinted that cosmic rays from outer space create clouds in the Earth’s atmosphere and cool us down. If this theory was correct then the planet would warm up when there was a strong Solar wind which blocks cosmic rays and stops them reaching earth and forming clouds.

Now, UK scientists have discovered that cosmic rays do not create clouds as previously thought. Professor Terry Sloan from Lancaster University and Professor Arnold Wolfendale from Durham University reported, "No evidence could be found of changes in the low cloud cover from known changes in the cosmic ray ionization rate."

The team studied cloud cover across the globe during bursts and reductions in cosmic rays, but did not find any link. Any relationship there might once have been, is now overshadowed by human activity.

I will of course keep watching peer reviewed journals for any reasonable challenges to this research. It’s a shame this issue has become so personal, it is important to keep questioning the information given to us. We would be delighted and amazed if somebody managed to prove Darwin wrong, or rocked the foundations of modern science in any other way. For now though, the evidence is right in front of our eyes and it would be foolish to ignore it.

Here’s the press release from the Institute of Physics