Major cause of global warming

The great debate over the cause of global warming continues, regardless of who says otherwise. Nobody can deny that surface based temperatures observations have reported an increase over the last hundred years or so.

The half-degree Celsius (1°F) is more significant than it sounds.

Why? Many assert that the greenhouse effect traps heat and a single component, carbon dioxide, gets most of the blame. The argument global warming activists use is backed by some solid physics.

The greenhouse effect does work. It keeps us comfortable, day and night. And certain gases in the troposphere can enhance that effect. Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide and, most importantly, water vapour. Why water vapor? Because we have so much of it. It has served as the leading cause of global warming since the dawn of time.

No, that's not quite right. The sun is our only cause of global warming, go figure. All of the earth's energy comes from it.

If something were to block the sun's rays from reaching our planet, we certainly detect the difference. Ok, what blocks us from the sun?

Clouds.
Aerosols from pollution and volcanic eruptions.
The moon, as in an eclipse.
What about the earth?

What is that condition called where our planet blocks sunlight from reaching us? Oh yeah, night. It's cool then too.

Now what about the cause of global warming increase we've seen recently? This is the source of the greatest debate in recent decades. The most popular notion says that increased concentrations have occurred with increasing CO2 levels.

In An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore even points out that that the two measured variables have increased and decreased in approximate proportion to each other at approximately the same times. there is little dispute over those records. We know that CO2 is now seen in levels above 300 parts per million for the first time in a long time. Like since measurements began.

Another plausible cause of global warming

Some have stated that changes in the energy output from the sun itself lead to changes in our global temperatures and conditions. There could be some sense to it.

Some have even gone far enough to say that stronger rays emanating from sunspots deflect cosmic rays from the depths of the universe. The solar rays prevent them from striking our air and leading to the formation of more clouds. After which there would be less stuff blocking incoming solar radiation.

Unconfirmed. But it warrants greater detail and more current meteorology research.

That's one pool of thought. The Great Global Warming Swindle even suggests that this cycle in incoming energy drives the temperature changes which in turn dictate the CO2 concentrations afterwards.
As much as 800 years afterwards. Oceans act as a CO2 storehouse and they work better when the water temperature is colder. Therefore warming causes water to release dissolved CO2. according to THIS theory.

Another interesting documentary, Scam of The Great Global Warming Swindle puts forth another cause of global warming. Yes CO2 and temperature correlate quite well, with the lag considered. Yet we cannot put a finger on the causation from the data alone. It goes on to suggest that Milankovitch cycles causes changes in both temperatures and carbon-dioxide levels.

It also reminds that things can affect each other simultaneously to some degree. This results in feedback. One thing changes the other slightly, those changes affect the first once again, then the new changes have their influence on the second and so on. A tennis match of sorts.

Because this effect occurs in most aspects of our environment, scientists call the whole cause of global warming thing very complicated. Rightfully so.

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