Climate change through time

Having just experienced a very heavy downpour towards the end of June, I think it is time to talk about climate change.  Once called global warming until that became old hat, we are now told that the climate is changing and it is all our fault.

First we must overcome the religious apologists who believe that as the Earth is no more than about 10,000 years old the evidence which follows cannot be true.

The problem we have is that climate change can be treated like all statistics.  Choose your sample carefully so that it demonstrates your point.  This link https://www.planetseed.com/node/15221 however shows both change over a short period and change over a longer period (425,000 years).  Looking over the longer period it would seem that climate change is natural, and whilst we humans may have some influence on it, it will be interesting to try and work out what proportion is down to our activities.

More evidence is also available from research further afield.  Scientists have found evidence of planetary warming on Mars - no 4x4 vehicles there, or power stations or any of the other 'culprits' for causing climate change.

Recent reports suggest that we may even pause the rise in temperatures currently being claimed.  This is because sunspot activity is less than we would expect from the cycles we are familiar with.  Surely the climate change activists cannot blame that on mankind!

Our government has signed us up to a massive reduction in CO2 emissions over the next few years.  There is no viable plan as to how this will be achieved. My recent research into local wind turbines shows that benefits are massively overstated, not to mention the fact that we cannot store the power generated in windy periods for use when it is calm.  Wave and tidal power systems appear to be coming along well but still have a long way to go.  The use of solar water heating and PV cells is best implemented at household level but having looked at the costs of PV, I think I will be dead before I can recoup my initial investment never mind any maintenance costs.

Nuclear power is at present a sensitive subject given the events in Japan earlier this year.  The problem we have here however is that our existing capacity is reaching the end of it's life and no replacement stations are under development - therefore we are likely to have a gap to fill somehow even if new nuclear stations are given the go ahead.

Maybe I should approach the government for a research grant.  I can develop pedal powered generators to allow all households to generate electricity whilst sitting at home.  If they generate enough they can watch the TV whilst pedalling or use a computer to read my blog!