Man Has Caused Global Warming, But Forget Cap and Trade

Yes, man has caused the global climate to warm over the past 100 years--an increase of about 1.6 deg F, up to 2.4 F (in northern latitudes). But it's not a reason for panic.  The hydrocarbon era might only last another 100 years with a similar temperature rise as seen in the last 100 years. The sea will have risen 10 inches in the next 100 years too.  (See my blog Global Warming Made Easy.)

I recently wrote a blog called What Causes Ice Ages?    From ice core data (see graph below), CO2 varied naturally over about 100,000 year cycle from about 190 ppm to 280 ppm, whereas we've popped up to 400 ppm in just the past 60 years.  Already we're outside of anything seen in 420,000 years of natural history.   Clearly man has released carbon back into the atmosphere; carbon that was laid-down during previous geologic epochs.  That carbon was in the atmosphere in warmer geologic periods. We're just slightly re-warming the Earth back to conditions in previous eras.

420,000 Years of Climate Data From Vostok Ice Cores

Forget Cap and Trade or Taxing Carbon, Embrace Thorium MSR Reactors

My most important point is that, although man has caused warming,  the cost to re-tool the economy away from fossil fuels is so great that it's not going to be done.  Furthermore, since the warming is basically benign, it's not worth spending the money! It would cost $10s of Trillions in the US alone. It's just not going to happen.

Since we need to reduce CO2 emissions by over 50% just to stop the CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere, cap and trade doesn't work.  It's just about taxation.  Cap and trade just leaves CO2 emissions at current levels meaning a steady ascent of atmospheric CO2.  To reverse global warming, you would have to reduce CO2 emissions by GREATER than 50 to 60% to actually reduce CO2 (and temperatures).  (See my blog: Climate Change Update)   It's basically impossible to do without seriously harming the world's economy and ballooning already high debt levels.

The answer to our problems is in technology.  Eventually we need something like Thorium energy to power the economies of the world.   The sooner the better!  China and Norway are already putting these reactors into use.  See: Thorium Reactors may solve the world's energy crisis.