OT More Evidence That Al Gore Is Full Of It 485
George Graves When you say, "I don't think it shows that," what does "it" refer to? The model does show that. The model of the earth's temperature is very...
John
Actually, if you put any credence in the model by Meehl et al. cited in then the use of coal is only a small factor in the rise from 1900 to 1940. According to that model, the rise was mostly due to natural factors.
According to that model, there would have been a return to about the zero line since that time if it weren't for greenhouse gases. Instead, there was a continuing upward trend.
If that model is correct, or close to correct, it's pretty ominous. It means that the fairly steep rise in temperature over the past few decades has been moderated by natural factors working to decrease temperature. If the next 40 years are like the first 40 years of the 20th century, with natural forces pushing temperatures up sharply, reinforcing greenhouse gases rather than moderating them, then the upward trend in temperature would be much more dramatic than the last few decades.