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This entire global warming brouhaha has evolved from one of the most frequently made statistical fallacies--equating commonality with causation. The libs' big lie starts with two statistically irrefutable facts: (1)There has been tremendous worldwide industrial growth in the past century, and, (2)The average temperature worldwide has increased in that time period. The fallacy is in asserting, with no real proof, that the first fact is a major cause of the second.

This entire global warming brouhaha has evolved from one of the most frequently made statistical fallacies--equating commonality with causation. The libs' big lie starts with two statistically irrefutable facts: (1)There has been tremendous worldwide industrial growth in the past century, and, (2)The average temperature worldwide has increased in that time period. The fallacy is in asserting, with no real proof, that the first fact is a major cause of the second.

BINGO! Although this appears to be one of the simplest logical ways to impart skepticism on the role of man in global warming, it is lost on some people. I wasted my time trying to explain the difference between causation and commonality to a friend of a friend who was prattling on about how we are cooking ourselves. I was using very basic examples- (ice cream sales are higher during the warm summer months, violent crime rates are highest during the same period, ice cream does not necessarily make violent criminals). It became apparent that I had wasted my time as she summed up the conversation with "If what you say is true, it looks like we can expect more violent crime as a result of global warming." I made a mental note to never speak to that person again...

(1)There has been tremendous worldwide industrial growth in the past century, and, (2)The average temperature worldwide has increased in that time period. The fallacy is in asserting, with no real proof, that the first fact is a major cause of the second.

There's certainly more to it than that. Industrial and energy emissions have increased the atmospheric concentration of CO2 by about 80 ppm since 1850 or so. This increase in the concentration of a gas that absorbs infrared radiation alters the Earth's radiative balance, and this alteration affects the global climate.

(1)There has been tremendous worldwide industrial growth in the past century, and, (2)The average temperature worldwide has increased in that time period. The fallacy is in asserting, with no real proof, that the first fact is a major cause of the second."

I will take this further by pointing out that the warming trend started BEFORE industrialization and also that it rose at the same rate afterward as it did before. Thus, those two points are immediately neutralized if one is asserting them as a causal link.