And Now, On to Other Distractions

The sun joins the climate club

"THE idea that changes in the sun's activity can influence the climate is making a comeback, after years of scientific vilification, thanks to major advances in our understanding of the atmosphere."

But the club is still not quite prepared to give ole King Sol top billing.

"The findings do not suggest - as climate sceptics frequently do - that we can blame the rise of global temperatures since the early 20th century on the sun. "There are extravagant claims for the effects of the sun on global climate," says Giles Harrison, an atmospheric physicist at the University of Reading, UK. "They are not supported."

Where solar effects may play a role is in influencing regional weather patterns over the coming decades. Predictions on these scales of time and space are crucial for nations seeking to prepare for the future."

But you can see they are opening the escape hatch.

And just in time for the arctic sovereignty pissing match, there is this news: Surprise: Peer reviewed study says current Arctic sea ice is more extensive than most of the past 9000 years