In climate science, it is dogma that increasing atmospheric CO2—a “greenhouse gas”—is the principal driver of climate change. What follows is the politically convenient narrative that the “climate emergency” can only be solved by committing to drastic cuts in CO2 emissions. To do so requires that fossil fuels must be phased out of our energy economy. How scientifically sound is this narrative?
There are many drivers of climate, including long-scale and large-scale variations in solar activity, distribution of atmospheric water vapor, the coming and going of clouds, volcanic and tectonic activity, and ocean currents. How do these other factors compare to the effect of atmospheric CO2 on climate? How do they relate?
This webinar features Arthur Viterito, a renowned climatologist and physical geographer, and a retired Professor of Geography from the College of Southern Maryland. He has recently published a provocative hypothesis that tectonic activity, and the attendant leakage of heat from the Earth’s core, is the principal driver of climate.
The discussion is moderated by J. Scott Turner of the National Association of Scholars.
Photo by Martin Sepion on Unsplash