Applying Econometrics to the Carbon Dioxide “Control Knob”

This paper tests various propositions underlying claims that observed global temperature change is mostly attributable to anthropogenic noncondensing greenhouse gases, and that although water vapour is recognized to be a dominant contributor to the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) effect, that effect is...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:TheScientificWorld 2012-01, Vol.2012 (2012), p.1-12
Main Author: Curtin, Timothy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthropogenic factors
Atmosphere
Atmospheric water
Carbon dioxide
Carbon Dioxide - analysis
Carbon Dioxide - chemistry
Climate
Climate change
Computer Simulation
Econometrics
Environmental Pollution - analysis
Environmental Pollution - prevention & control
Feedback
Global temperatures
Global Warming
Greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gases
Human influences
Humidity
Models, Econometric
Oceanography
Radiative forcing
Regression analysis
Statistical analysis
Vapors
Waste Management - methods
Water vapor
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This paper tests various propositions underlying claims that observed global temperature change is mostly attributable to anthropogenic noncondensing greenhouse gases, and that although water vapour is recognized to be a dominant contributor to the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) effect, that effect is merely a “feedback” from rising temperatures initially resulting only from “non-condensing” GHGs and not at all from variations in preexisting naturally caused atmospheric water vapour (i.e., [H2O]). However, this paper shows that “initial radiative forcing” is not exclusively attributable to forcings from noncondensing GHG, both because atmospheric water vapour existed before there were any significant increases in GHG concentrations or temperatures and also because there is no evidence that such increases have produced measurably higher [H2O]. The paper distinguishes between forcing and feedback impacts of water vapour and contends that it is the primary forcing agent, at much more than 50% of the total GHG gas effect. That means that controlling atmospheric carbon dioxide is unlikely to be an effective “control knob” as claimed by Lacis et al. (2010).
ISSN:2356-6140
1537-744X
1537-744X
DOI:10.1100/2012/761473