When Satellites Refute the Climate Crisis Narratives, Trust the Science!
WUWT Guest Blogger 34 Comments by Jim Steele
Satellite data proves the greenhouse effect is real. The heat absorbed from the sun must be balanced by infrared heat escaping back to space. However, some wavelengths of infrared heat are absorbed by greenhouse gases and redirected back towards the earth. That has slowed the earth’s rate of cooling and enables the habitable temperatures of today.
But most scientists also believe the lower atmosphere is now saturated with CO2. Adding more CO2 will have little to no further warming effect. Furthermore, greenhouse gases have a cooling effect in the upper atmosphere. The climate crisis narrative pushed by some scientists argues that increasing levels of CO2 from burning of fossil fuels will continue to warm the earth by trapping more (Outgoing Longwave Radiation – OLR) infrared heat. Based on the greenhouse effect, that theory is plausible. But the scientific evidence refutes it.
satellites can now measure how much OLR is escaping to space. If the climate crisis narrative is true, more CO2 would trap more OLR, so less OLR escaping to space should be detected.
But since 1985, satellites have detected that OLR had increased by about 2 W/m2 by 2018. (Watts per meter squared, W/m2, a Watt is a measure of energy per second ). That observed increasing OLR either means heat is more easily escaping, or the earth is heating via another dynamic.
Since 1980, CO2 concentrations have increased from 338 parts per million to 410 ppm. That means rising CO2 should have theoretically trapped and REDUCED OLR adding 1.02 W/m2 of heat. Instead we observe increasing OLR and that refutes the crisis narratives.
Satellites have also measured a decrease in global cloud cover by over 7%. That allows greater solar heating (graphic B). Fewer clouds better correlates with a warming of the earth and an increase in OLR.
Other causes of the mild global warming to date are urban heat island effect and deforestation.
