If not humans, what is causing the planet to warm? If you%26#039;re going to argue that global warming has stopped, don%26#039;t bother, just go here:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

I want to see plausible scientific explanations as to what is causing the planet to warm.

If you%26#039;re going to argue it%26#039;s a %26quot;natural cycle%26quot;, then what cycle is it? What physical mechanism in this cycle is causing the planet to warm?

If you%26#039;re going to argue it%26#039;s the Sun, how do you explain the fact that total solar irradiance (TSI) and sunspot numbers have decreased slightly as the planet has experienced a 0.5°C warming over the past 30 years?

http://solar-center.stanford.edu/sun-on-...
http://tamino.files.wordpress.com/2007/0...
http://tamino.files.wordpress.com/2007/0...
http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs...

Scientific explanations only please - no conspiracy theories or political rants.

Additional Details

5 months ago

Mike S - many of us link peer-reviewed literature here on YA frequently.

If you can%26#039;t do better than %26#039;the Sun is hot%26#039;, then you%26#039;re in no position to disagree with the scientific experts and their consensus.

5 months ago

eric c - explanation of the many errors in the Viscount Monckton of Brenchley article (your 2nd link):
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/arc...

News article at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6290228.st...

But I haven%26#039;t done research, I just read it. I don%26#039;t think the people who actually do research bother to spend time talking about it on Yahoo Answers, since Trevor left.

Edit:
Jim Z - do you really not know about the cooling effect of aerosols, which were introduced at massive levels following WW2?

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060825/531436...

Many scientists are skeptical about Anthropogenic Global Warming.
These are some resources:

http://sepp.org/policy%20declarations/he...

http://www.globalwarmingheartland.org/Ar...

Al Gore had a chart in his movie %26quot;An Inconvenient Truth%26quot; that showed the similarities of Carbon Dioxide and temperature. The thing that he doesn%26#039;t tell you is that there is a gap in which the temperature rises before the CO2 which should be the exact opposite if his theory is correct. Watch “The Great Global Warming Swindle”

Polar bears are NOT being endangered but actually the exact opposite.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/200...

That is my point of view on the issue and I strongly encourage you to watch %26quot;The Great Global Warming Swindle%26quot; (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=... all the way through even if you don%26#039;t want to. It is a great source of information and if you want to know the truth, you need to see both sides of the story.

Another great resource is http://z4.invisionfree.com/Popular_Techn...

If you refuse to see it, there%26#039;s no point to proceed further.

Edit (Ken below): Since you%26#039;re giving it the old college try, I%26#039;ll give you a hand...sunspots aren%26#039;t uniform in intensity, the lag isn%26#039;t from Earth to Sun, other variables cause noise, and (according to this chart) the equilibrium point seems to reside somewhere between 75-85 recorded sunspots (above causes warming, below causes cooling)...with carry-over or momentum from the previous year contributing to the next.

Edit: Keep in mind, the case may be neither cause the other (though your suggestion seems the least likely, given our understanding of physics). Both observed changes may be the result of an as-of-yet undetected external force. If I observe plants wilting and my skin becomes blistered, I don%26#039;t automatically draw the conclusion wilting plants cause blisters.

Edit (Dana1981): Were you aware the lack of sunspots is directly linked to %26quot;The Little Ice Age%26quot;? Research the Maunder Minimum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maunder_Min...

If you want a more scientific explanation then you can go to:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics...
Page 20.

water vapor...

has it been raining lately?

i think not

i just felt like saying that even though its irrelevent..

we are entering spring! enjoy a 3 month warming period then a 3 month warmer period!

evans how do nuclear explosions from 93 million miles away warm up the earth?

everything. humans are the biggest cause or global warming, but natural things contribute alot too. like volcanoes spewing carbon into the air with ash, cow farts releasing methane(heehee), and the breathing that ever organism on this planet does every hour of every day.

Global warming would still happen even if humans never existed, but just not as fast. it would happen so slowly that the organisms on earth would actually be able to adapt to global warming%26#039;s effects through evolution. hope this D student helped lol

the oil companys. it fules the cars, gives off exost and destroys the ozone layer trapping heat inside the earth%26#039;s atmisphere.