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There is a natural 11 year cycle in the amount of energy that the sun puts out. From maximum to minimum the variation is by a few tenths of a percent. While this can effect the earth's average temperature and climate, the contribution is small compared to that caused by increases in greenhouse gases. There have been several scientific studies on this. A recent one is the following;

"Shindell, D., D. Rind, N. Balachandran, J. Lean, and P. Lonergan 1999. Solar cycle variability, ozone, and climate. Science 284, 305-308."

A press release put out by the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), says "...the solar increases do not have the ability to cause large global temperature increases...greenhouse gases are indeed playing the dominant role..."

Blaming the sun for global warming was convenient for some during the last decade since the sun's cycle was on the upswing. But we recently entered the downswing of that cycle. The sun's energy output is now decreasing to it natural minimum and still we have the earth warming up.

What I find interesting about all this is that there are many people who get depressed to learn that we, and not the sun, is to blame. A few down right deny it. But isn't it a good thing that the sun isn't doing it? I mean, if we are the cause then the potential is there for us to be the solution. I don't know what we could do if the output of the entire sun was to blame.

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