I think it is obvious that there is more to global warming than our SUV's and that it is funny how you never hear this on the media. Sounds to me like this global warming is something that we can't control. Try thinking about that.

Stacey, Dothan, USA

We certainly have a problem with smog and air pollution, but CO2 is not the prime mover for this whole CC affair. Giving Nobel peace prizes to Gore and the IPCC was pure politics, un founded and bogus. The problem now is that these guys will say anything to save their reputation and medals...

R.Brassard, Montreal, Canada

Mars is warming and we have to save it NOW! All SUVs on Mars must be shut off immediately.

Duh, Duh, Duh

Did you know that Jupiter and Uranus are also undergoing climate change. I also thought that your website was very interesting and very informative.

Thanks for the info Hugo

Professor Hugo Vadasz, Adelaide, Australia

The Solar System is passing through the Galactic plane. There is more dust in that area. More dust means friction (even if is thin). Friction means heat. Therefore the whole Solar System warms and will begin to cool as it moves out of the plane area

Jerome E. Goodwin Sr., Oakridge, USA

Hahahahaha, it would be like us to assume that we would have such control over something so massive as the environment. How arrogant can you get? Meteorologists can't predict tomorrow's weather, but I am going to trust them hundreds of years from now? Please, this is all about money and attention

Nate Jusko, Vincentown, United States

Cosstick, the oil price isn't going up because we are running out. We aren't running out. The oil price is going up because of government regulation. Government not allowing drilling here, not allowing refining there, putting their taxes on everything, etc.

jun, pasadena, USA

An interesting point of enquiry perhaps would be to note the heating of all of the planets in the last 30 years. The dust storms on Mars etc. require energy input. It will not surprise me at all that it comes from periodic changes in the SunWe live in an unstable interglacial period.

Zachary Pesold, Ithaca, United States

Weather CO2 is causing our planet to warm or not is irrelevant in a way. Oils at $125 a barrel because of the demand going up and supply running out. Plus most fertilizers are made of petrol chemicals. So if we run out and have no alternatives we will starve and our economy will collapse!

James Cosstick, Gloucester, England

The sarcasm is not funny and not convincing. If you can't even come up with a few actual facts to support your opinion, then DON'T POST IT. I am not impressed.

Cassandra, Portland, USA

Did you know that of the 186 billion cubic meters of Co2 put into the atmosphere humans produce only 6 billion + Co2 levels have been higher in past ! This is just another political scam!!

Adam, london,

Yeah, well why should you believe anything. Who says that these things are related. Or why should I believe that this is really happening with Mars. In the past scientist were sure about lot of theories that were proven wrong later. Personally I believe Al Gore because of the basic rules of physics, chemistry and biology. Should I list them? And I ask you: should we doubt that green house effects exists at all, if we doubt that C02 is cause of our problems? (this was a rhetorical question of course and with purpose to prove my point)

Martina, Zagreb, Croatia

Fascinating that so many people opt for an "either/or" stance.
Why can't global warming be due to BOTH man and the sun?

Matt, London,

The warming of Mars suggests that the main culprit for global warming is not C02 as alleged but something to do with the sun. In which case we would better concentrate on other polutants than CO2. There are plenty.

We have reduced a lot of pollution over the years, DDT,sulphur emmissions from industry (London Fogs of old), rivers are much cleaner, and the Ozone hole is getting smaller again. BBC are Highlighting Plasic packaging currently. This is a problem, and perhaps a more seruious one than CO2. One that is easily resolvable if people just stop throwing rubbish in the ditch, or the sea.

Stead, Acharacle, United Kingdom

Must be that martianpogenic climate change! Eee Gore!!!

Jay, Victoria

Jaymo, Victoria, Canada

I wish as many people would push for peace in the middle east as they do for the global warming issue..
If we could learn to live together in peace then who know's, we might even start working together to improve our society, the wasteful materialisim, and maybe we'll change our attitudes to the planet.
If we worked and lived in our community, produced our food in our community, became a bit more independant from the current system, then our impact on the enviroment would change from negative to positive.
But our leaders keep telling us we need glodal trade and global economy.. Do we really?

Joel, London, Europe?

I wish as many people would show concearn for peace in the middle east as they do for Global warming
If we could learn to respect our neighbours and live in peace then who knows what could happen, perhaps our ideas of society could change, maybe we would end the wasteful materialisim.
If we worked and lived in our local communities and produced our food in our communities and became more independant (free) from the current system then our impact on the planet would turn from negative to positive.
Our leaders keep telling us we need global trade, global economy, global government a New wolrd Order. Do we?
Seems to me things would be much nicer without coorporations and central governments and war industry, and we live like humans are supposed to. Free and Inderpendant in our local community..

Joel, London, Europe?

Gee, two planets in the same solar system warming at the same rate; could it be the sun is radiating a bit more energy?

Neil, Victoria, Canada

Oh my goodnes. The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Better get somone up there right away and find out who the guilty are and prosecute. File this thought away with the village idiot Al "I'm covered by my carbon credits" Gore. Pleeez

ROBERT, San Antonio, usa/Texas

Global warming is the least of our problems.if you were to address the real problem global warming wouldn’t be an issue. Let’s talk about over population; this is the one thing that has influence on all the other ills of the world. Fix/control the population problem and you will solve many of today’s problems.

AntTrap, El Verano, Ca.

Contrary to what was said below, CO2 is not triangular. It is linear. Not a biggie in this discussion but my job revolves around such details.

Wally, Tahuya,

I strongly believe that the real reason for the "Larm-Reports"
concerning "The Greenhouse-effect" may be the fact that
countries like China and India are demanding a greater bite
of the "Oil-Cake"Which may be very inconvenient for the other
Industrialised Part of the world .Thus we "Ordinary People" must be induced to save fuel for the factories and ,not least for the military supplies! The ice caps on Mars is melting !That can hardly be our fault!-Can it?

K. Lund. Gothenburg Sweden

Kjeld Lund, Gothenburg, Sweden

Too many opinions and not much in the way of genuine evidence in this whole climate change 'industry'. The truth is that a person will believe whatever suits their preconceptions unless they are genuinely willing to change - and that is indeed a rare thing for a creature as arrogant as a human being. Water and CO2 share similar properties in terms of thermal capacities. They are each tri-atomic molecules with similar 'triangular' structures and the same numer of degrees of freedom in terms of storing energy quanta. However, there is about 100 times as much water in the atmosphere as there is CO2 so a 1% drop in atmospheric water woulld have a similar thermal effect to completely removing ALL CO2 from the air, and likewise a 1% increase in atmospheric water would have a similar effect to doubling the CO2 in the atmosphere. Puts it into perspective, huh? Yes there is climate change but be damned if CO2 is doing it.

ben, vic, australia

If we spend trillions fixing CO2 problems, which amounts to removing almost nothing from the atmosphere, considering that the thermal effects of atmospheric water completely dwarf those of CO2, and when we have comitted ourselves to this and find that it changes nothing, the collapse of economies will lead to civil unrest and strife and inevitably to war. History teaches us that this is what happens when societies become competely deluded by their own granduer so much so that they think they can control everything - and CO2 just happens to be conveniently controllable. To tell us that something beyond our control is causing climate change is political suicide for any public figure, especially 'greenie' groups. So far all suggestions as to the cause of Mars' polar melting are just that - 'suggestions' - and we are expected to take this as proof, yet when it comes to real evidence that CO2 is not the culprit on Earth, it is largely ignored. People just see what they want to see.

ben, vic, australia

Expressions such as "... she suggests that such winds can stir up giant dust storms..." and "...temperature differences between the two are thought to be stirring up more winds..." do NOT constitute scientific evidence but rather conjecture on a possible explanation based upon unproven hypotheses. This is not proof, just an unproven and theoretical model and should be seen as such, not an explanation of anything. The question on the Mars icecap melt is still WIDE, WIDE open.

ben, vic, australia

If you compress the atmosphere of Earth to the same density as liquid water it would be about 10 metres thick over the face of the planet. Compare this with the depth of the ocean. So, if we heat the ocean (not the atmosphere), this leads to much greater evaporation and having pockets of denser and warmer atmospheric water vapour and gas floating about colliding with pockets of colder and drier air leads to bigger and more intense storms. Also the greater quantity of atmospheric water will cause global warming, not the CO2 which contibutes but a nat's whisker to the whole shebang. Although I am highly opposed to producing pollution when we don't actually need to, the whole CO2 scapegoat is a laughable joke and anybody with even an ounce of understanding can do their own research to prove it. You do not need complex models, just basic thermodynamics and basic understanding of thermal capacities. Who is gaining by this CO2 beat up apart from greenie groups and climate scientists?

ben, vic, australia

pointing out the hypocrasy of the philanthropic is the the utlimate hypocritical act. Nobody is perfect and he who is without sin and all that... The charge of hypocrite just allows people to justify their own inaction by debunking other peoples attempts to do good.

Get over your cynicism and take some direct action.

Dann, Bath, UK

In the 1970s and 80s, NOAA and other climatologic
"experts" were warning that the earth was rapidly cooling,
that we would by now be in a new little ice age, with massive
crop failure, decreased growing seasons, migrations,
dislocations, perhaps starvation. One possible remedy
suggested was to dust the polar caps with soot from
massive cargo planes, to melt the caps and prevent
glaciers from heading, especially into Europe and N.
America....the bread basket areas.

Nicholas H. Kalvin MD , Naples, Fl.

I say we all grab a beer and enjoy the show!

Bruce, Regina, Canada

You forgot to mention the fact that Al Gore's mansion consumes more electricity than 20 average American homes. His heated pool house consumes more than $1000.00 of natural gas a month, he flips around the planet in "polluting" aircraft to spread his message, yet he has the hide to tell us to turn off the lights and cycle to work. What a collossal hypocrite.

raymond duncan, Cairns, Australia

Hasn't the world been changing for milllions of years ?
Why doesnt the government reward my recyling ?
How often does the weather man get the day today weather wrong ?
Did the dinosaur's drive around in cars ? what happened to them ?
Why's the government looking to tax the weather ?

Finally do u trust what a politician says ?????

Mikey Jackson, London,

We had to watch An Inconvemient Truth in science class. It was half graphs about carbon dioxide, and half a montage(sp?) about Gore losing to Bush. By the way you could clearly see the carbon dioxide spikes came AFTER the temperature spikes.

One of the best descriptions of Gore I have heard was brodcast over the local radio. Comidically, it said, " 'Scientists declare shortage of water' Gore heard on the news. He said, 'Hmmm......' as he got out of his 50 minute shower and brushed his teeth with the water on." A great analogy to Gore.

Tom, Flint,

Solutions? Kill humans? Change lightbulbs? Increase use of nuke power?

v Racer, Atlanta, GA

In 1421, before automobiles, power plants, and 8 billion people, Zhou Wen sailed his junk around Greenland. Try that today! It must have been a lot warmer then at the close of the Medieval Warming period. Thank God we are not going into another Little Ice Age! Just read history folks.

Allen Bruner, Reno, Washoe / Nevada

I agree with Phil of Liverpool, Though I don't know him, a "Green Tax" is always going to be a Tax.

As to Al Gore, come on, he lost to Bush, so he's humiliated, and then tries to rebuild a power base somewhere else.

Why does he have to jet off around the world to tell us to use planes less?

I'm not sure what the CO2 emissions are from a Prius, but they sure as hell go up when you drive it at 100mph, and then start emitting other smokes into the atmosphere.

I am an environmentalist, but a practical one. I don't believe we are responsible for Global Warming, I'm just hoping when people realise that they don't just start living inefficiently.

Recycle because it's efficient, not because of "Global Warming".....

andy, liverpool, England

I would like to add to why the earth is exsperiencing warmer clients, I hope Al Gore reads this! The moon is also retreating from the earth and it controls how fast the earth spins, therefore for every foot it moves away from the earth is a few miliseconds to seconds that the earth slows down in rotation and it also controls our tilt on the axis. It has been proven that long time ago the African deserts were once lush and green and then the earth lost a foot, just a foot of it's tilt and bam deserts! So HELLO people it is going to only get warmer and green house gasses are just a very small part of why. Once a large valcano errupts we will cool back down but until then pull out your summer clothes folks the cool days are over for awhile! Just wait til your kids kids are bitching that they are freezing their butts off!!

rosa, memphis, tennessee

Whether we have caused climate change or not isn't the point. We don't live in a way that is harmonious with nature. The amount of plastic we use and throw away (old toothbrushes, razors, plastic cups and wrapping take 1000 years to biodegrade and produce toxicity in the process which pollutes our planet and therefore us.) I agree with Green hippies in that mass consumerism and mass degredation of this beautiful planet and our wasteful lifestyles do not help the planet thrive in the slightest. Green hippies woke up a long time ago. Have you?

jo ballard, plymouth, uk

I don't claim to be a science nerd or anything like that, but my theory on this basically revolves around governments in our respective countries trying to hike taxes.

Most scientific reports on climate change are more often than not funded by the government, of course they are going to read in favour of whatever policy they want to follow.

Why have they failed to inform us more regularly of the heating up of Mars and the rest of the solar system? Maybe because it casts doubt on them!!!!!!

All you green hippies wake up and realise its just a natural cycle.

Phil, Liverpool, UK

Ron In Atlanta said it best. We do not blame 70 to 80 degree seasonal temperature changes on man, why do we blame 1 degree global change on man. In January we had -15 degrees as a low temp. Today 95 degrees. That's a 110 degree difference. Quite a change but I don't think my SUV caused it.

One point I'd like to make. I seem to remember back in my youth some very well respected scientists screaming bloody murder about the coming Ice Age. They appear to have been wrong. I find it ironic though that some of the very same people who said we were all doomed to freeze to death are the very same ones who now claim we are going to fry. People who remember this little tid bit from the 70's look back on it and laugh. Ha Ha what a bunch of morons! I suspect that 30 years from now the youth of today will look back and laugh and say what a bunch of morons.

Someone has already said it, But it needs to be said again. As an American I would like to apologize for Al Gore. We are very Sorry!

Randy, Romeoville, USA/Illinois

If we would put all the money and energy into helping the (poor) people that suffer from the current climate change, instead of on 'reducing the CO2', we would actually make a difference for many!

Maaike Dooper, Nøtterøy, Norway

The general missinformation floating about man induced climate change is amazing. While the earth is undoubtly undergoing a warming trend rememeber it has gone through at least 6 ice ages in the last 750,000 years. Guess what? Ice ages are seperated by warming periods. The Earth has been warming for 11,000 yrs. Guess what? The CO2 levels reasonably track these climate changes. Sorry, the industrial revolution was not occuring 100,000 or more years ago, and not several times over!

In fact through out geologic time CO2 concentrations have been much greater then now. For instance during Jurassic period it was 1800 PPM, and the Ordovician period > 4000 PPM. If you take the time to graph CO2 concentartions, Earth's average temperture its more likley a consequence of Earth's warming, not its cause.

Instead of looking at something that makes up .04% of Earth's atmosphere(CO2) why not look at the 800 pound gorilla- Solar variations are much more likley the cause.

Barry Weinman, Plano, Texas

Add to the warming of Mars, that most recent sealevel change may be the result of groundwater pumping (spread a good part of 1,000 cubic kms of water a year over the oceans and see how thick the layer is). Then add the question, who said glacial ice is a leak-proof container for CO2 gas, over 650,000 years? Add that CO2 on drill-bit impact at 3 kms will explosively phase shift to liquid, and then later, on its way up the hole, to gas. Then look at the deep ice core graphs for CO2. Then add the question, how likley is it that one atmospheric trace gas, produced by one species of ape, is controlling the climate? Then remember that when you cut down trees, you lose the huge latent heat of vaporisation cooling they were contributing. Then think about cows in Greenland in the Middle Ages. Then chuckle, adapt, waste less and plant a tree or two. We are not done for yet.

Signalman Second Class Jones, Samford, Queensland

"...in the form of emitting CO2, has SPEEDED up climate change..."

Hey there teacher, (Rick Glatz). You might want to go back to school. Shouldn't your sentence read, "CO2 has SPED up climate change" ? I'm Edward Gibbs, a geophysicist , encouraging you to do some more research!

Edward Gibbs, Bellingham, WA, USA

"speeded up"
"immisions"
sped up? emissions? Come on, it isn't that hard.

Anyways, while there may be natural cycles of heating and cooling without human involvement, it is pretty clear that we have a huge effect on the climate. CO2 is currently at 383 ppm (parts per million) as opposed to 280 ppm before the industrial era. a 50% increase over a hundred year period is HUGE. We need to get our act together soon, raise gas prices so we can move on to new technology, use cleaner energy, use less energy, etc.

Evan, Houston,

Hi, I am a debate teacher in middle and high school in New Hampshire. I have listened to both sides for years. Our judges have rigorous standards for presenting research. My students do a much better job than many of you here in documenting their sources. I am also a science teacher. After listening to all sides here is my personal conclusion: Yes, there are cycles and astronomical events which can affect global climate, BUT,
human activity, in the form of emitting CO2, has speeded up climate change and the intensity of its effects and must be dealt with. Anything less is the continuation of a dangerous experiment. I (and my students) welcome your comments. Sincerely,

Rick Glatz, Merrimack,

Stop the war machine, legally make corporations responsible entities, plumb the world, stop the abuse and poverty of using people as slaves,and give our children a future. The message my kid got from an "Inconvenient Truth" is that they (the kids) have twenty years of life left on this earth. It seems the more money one has, the more one can afford to pollute and the only change the rich and powerful seem to want is one for their own profit. So, lets let the rich, get even richer and allow them to be given dollar for dollar tax breaks and money to go green, hell let's print them up so much money that they can be the richest ever there was and if that doesn't fix things....eat them.

A. Van Holderbeke, Courtenay, Canada

My theory on global Warming is that the sun is burning hotter at the moment.I know carbons and immisions dont help our planet at all and we should do more on our part.But thats my theory the sun is either burning hotter at the moment or there may be a cycle where we dip closer to the sun for 10-25 years.I dont think theres no large planetary object out there like sitchin stated thats aload of horse crap im affraid.It was on bbc news here in england about 10 days ago that geologist's are finding the polar caps are melting at a faster rate than estimated.Once those ice caps melt and flood the gulf stream do you know what will happen then? the big freeze lol.We live on a very unstable planet unfortunatly hehehehe.

Colin, Manchester, England

If ever there was proof that global warming is caused by the sun and not by CO2 this is it. Of course we should do everything in our power to preserve the earth’s resources as best we can, doing anything else would be very unintelligent. But we would be very foolish to think we can halt global warming by living as we did during medieval times.

Jimbo, Norwich, Norfolk

In our life time we'll probably see what comes of global warming. A few years back I thought it was slightly comforting to think I'd have given up my carbon based entity before damaging changes occurred.

But now, I prefer if we'd all collectively do something to stem the temperature rise. I'll cycle more, plant as many trees as my mom allows, vote for Greens, keep informed, be open minded to nuclear, gaze at Mars and wonder if it's a solar cycle up there. I'll also be inclined to believe the scientists. They prompted the action and seeming success with the ozone hole. We believed them then. So why not believe the almost all climatologists now?

As to our famed human modesty, that we are too-little-beings to influence the great planet above and around us. It only takes a (damaging) long distance flight at night to see how much of the world is covered by human fires, lights and use of fuels. We are in the position to change the physical world.

Phelim Doran, Ballycroy, Ireland

Global warming is a cycle in my opinion. I believe that it is out of the control of the world's goverments. Too much empahsis is put on who is the cause as opposed to what needs to be done NOW about the real changes that are occurring. All the planets in our solar system are heating up. We are heating up from the inside out, not from the outside in. I am in no way an expert but it seems that something is affecting the electomagnetics of our solar system. The sun has a lot to do with it. Zecharia Sitchin has a good handle on it. A large planetary object is approaching and throwing things out of whack. This is not the first time it has happened. The Vatican knows the truth. That is why they own a few observatories. They are watching and waiting.

DJ, NYC, USA

Never having believed half the rubbish about a largely human cause for global warming (and being of the opinion that this is a dangerous assertion at best) this theory is a welcome one. The fact that it is largely dismissed as going against popular theory highlights the lack of open scientific thinking amongst 'experts'.

Gavin Harrington, London, England

I believe that global warming is FAKER than michael jackson's nose. Over the past millions of years the world has had some warm times and cold times, and right now we're just on a tid-bit warmer time...thats all

Billy Bob, London, France

I think that there are crazy alien people that have a be magnifly glass and are going to heat us up like a ant!!!!! Look out there coming there coming!!!!!!!!!

Steven , Darwine,

the data shows that CO2 follows the warming of the earth, and not before, therefore CO2 can't be the "global warming trigger", I suggest that the variations in the sun/sunspots/cosmic radiation have a greater effect on the climate changes.

frank M, perth, australia

If CO2 is responsible for global warming why were temperatures 200 million years ago so much higher than today?. Surely our planet has gone through many warm and cold periods before humans even existed.
We hear many things about our climate such as `Global Dimming` , `Global Warming` with so many theories banded about ,which are we to believe?. Lets have less of the `Doomsday` talk and more positive attitude from these so called `Experts`.

D.Williams, Arbroath, Scotland

Al Gore is right in that the debate is over. It should be obvious by now that solar fluctuations are causing "Global Warming". This is an inconvenient truth for Mr. Gore.

John Wiggins, Orlando, USA/ Florida

Funny...You start with scientific method then finish with science by concensus? The fact that you can't produce scientists who disagree at the moment means global warming theory is true? I don't think there is one scientist who will tell you the earth isn't heating up. That isn't the real debate. The debate is...are humans responsible? That's where they spit. Where is the data?

Stephen Spencer, Co Springs,

For those who still believe that rising CO2 causes rising temperatures, please look at the post-2000 analyses of the Vostok ice core data. Also instructive is the 500-million year geologic reconstruction. Both completely refute the notion that the greenhouse effect is a major contributor to climate CHANGE, and, specifically, that atmospheric CO2 has a significant role in global temperature change.

To believe the IPCC's view, you must be willing to believe:

1. Atmospheric CO2 can change temperatures hundreds of years in the past (see Vostok ice core analyses, post 2000).

2. Human activity is responsible for global warming on Mars.

3. Solar magnetism/sunspots/radiation changes/"wind" and cosmic radiation changes have no impact on climate change, despite the long history of lockstep agreement between the two.

The IPCC is a political organization and a lot of government science jobs now depend upon governments who have invested in the fiction produced by the IPCC.

Bob Webster, Andover, New Jersey, USA

with regards : "Or perhaps, if you read their reports, they have both considered that and have an explanation: the sulphur based aerosols produced in the industrial expansion of WW2 and its aftermath. These aerosols reflected sunlight back and efeffect (in the Northern hemisphere, not globally) was to lower temperatures. "

so between 1945 and 1978 global warming was reduced or even reveresed by aerosols - is it just me or isnt the obvious thing to do to bring them back and reverse the spectre of global catastrophe for good ? perhaps the stuff could be added to jet fuel - then the more we fly the cooler it gets - problem solved !

Clive Brown, Cambridge, UK

"an equal number of scientists can be produced who do not subscribe to that theory (and yes, it is a theory). You are free to practice any religion you like, but don't try to push junk science off as fact."

You clearly don't understand the scientific method. In science, facts are based on empirical evidence - oberservations. For instance, it is an observed fact that CO2 concentrations are 30% higher than in 1750. It is an observed fact that tempertaures are measureably and significantly higher than then. A theory (as opposed to a conjecture or hypothesis, which you appear to think are synonyms for theory) is a generally accepted explanation of the observed facts. In this case, the well understood greenhouse gas physics is an excellent explanation, well accepted by the scientists who study this field, for the observed facts of global warming. The science is actually much more complex. If there are "equal numbers" of scientists who disagree with this, can they declare themselves?

James PhD (Physics), Hampshire, UK

"Hey Dan, one volcano puts out more CO2 than the entire history of mankind. Stop confusing CO2 with pollution. As for deforestation logic says the more CO2 the better off our forests would be. CO2 = plant food. And besides only a fool would think that the sun would have anything to do with the temperature
on Earth...Right?


Alan D, Avondale, PA / USA"

Check out the US Geological Survey (presumably not in the pocket of the EU). They estimate that man made CO2 contrinbutes 150 times that of volcanoes.

Check out the IPCC reports. They state the various factors that they estimate affect global temperatures, including solar and CO2 contributions from various sources. If you don't believe them, produce the counter evidence, but not with this type of soundbite science!

If your reason for not believing them is because they have a vested interest to get funding, the best way to get funding for science is to emphasise UNCERTAINTY. The IPCC is no longer doing that.

Rene Descartes, UK,

To Steve Cramer and others: A quote from the website of The Royal Society, the oldest, and arguably, the most respected SCIENTIFIC body on this planet.
"... the overwhelming majority of scientists who work on climate change agree on the main points, even if there is still some uncertainty about particular aspects, such as how the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will change in the future. In the journal Science in 2004, Oreskes published the results of a survey of 928 papers on climate change published in peer-reviewed journals between 1993 and 2003. She found that three-quarters of the papers either explicitly or implicitly accepted the view expressed in the IPCC 2001 report that
human activities have had a major impact on climate change in the last 50 years, and none rejected it".
http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/page.asp?id=4761. You will find a wealth of info there which can help us. The intolerable bigotry displayed in these pages will not.

Richard, London,

"Damien from Katterbach - check out the CO2 and Temperature records from the 1940s to 1970s. CO2 rose while temperature fell.

Foster, Houston, Texas"

Wow. Have you told the IPCC about that? This stunning revelation totally blows their silly greenhouse gas theory out of the windows!

Or perhaps, if you read their reports, they have both considered that and have an explanation: the sulphur based aerosols produced in the industrial expansion of WW2 and its aftermath. These aerosols reflected sunlight back and efeffect (in the Northern hemisphere, not globally) was to lower temperatures.

Sceptics may feel the IPCC conveniently explains all these little things away, but this is a very complex area of science with many factors involved, all interfering with one another.

However, the "what about this then?" style anecdote approach that your example typifies is similar to creationists out to prove the earth is only 6000 years old and discredit evolution.

Rene Descartes, UK,

The report on Mars / Earth mirror tempature rise was first reported here in Oz nearly four weeks ago. I have posted that information on several sites concerned mainly with blaming it all us mere humans, but the new save the earth industry is getting in to top gear and really dont want to know. A couple of senior CSIRO made tv appearances, and quickly rebuked the so called experts claiming that we have stuffed up our planet. Their comments were that human beings were showing a bit to much vanity by boasting that we were capable of reaching that level so soon. Their other comments were that there are a lot of people making very nice incomes from writing books and becoming government so called expert advisors.

As everyone knows Australia is the oldest continent on the planet and its scientists have through drilling and producing deep cores, discovered that these cycles have occured on many occasions over thousands of years.

Mike, Brisbane, Australia

The Global Warming Religion is complete tripe. Like all religions it is spearheaded by a few intellectuals and fuelled by a hoard of ignoramouses.

It may or may not be possible to argue that Earth is heating up. It certainly cannot be proven in any way shape or means what is causing it. CO2 levels taken from one specific part of the globe and compared to a series of globally dispersed, historically inaccurate temparature series is not good science by a long shot.

As a GeoChemist I could use so many sets of spurious data to argue any cause in any direction that it is close to pointless. Ice caps thickening, ice caps thinning, balh blah blah.

HOWEVER...what is relevant is that we are excessively wasteful as a society and we must redress this as a matter of urgency and if this mindless religion can achieve this then pass me the plate.

Tim, London, England

Katie, the IPCC is a political body, not a scientific body. The sheer number of real scientists who have removed themselves from its makeup should tell you something. For every scientist you can find in support of man-made global warming, an equal number of scientists can be produced who do not subscribe to that theory (and yes, it is a theory). You are free to practice any religion you like, but don't try to push junk science off as fact.

Steve Cramer, Yorktown, US/Virginia

Hey Jon Carry of Nevada, did you know that John Kerry was in Vietnam??? :) Also Big Ketchup (his wife) is supporting Algore's enviornmental group financially!!!!!

Davide Caprio , Severna Park, Md USA, United States of America

It is amazing how all of these EUROWEENIES from the UK have bought into this Global Warming crap. It easy to see why the once proud nation caved to Mamud Akmagenocide aka Stinky and why thier Sailors and marines fell so easily.

Davide Caprio , Severna Park, Md USA, United States of America

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. "

G.G, Holy See Prison,

Keep Up the fight my fellow Americans.

Davide Caprio , Severna Park, Md USA, United States of America

Martians with their SUVs are killing the Mars environment !!!
We need to get the government to "dooo somethinggg... For the chilll-drennn."

Mark, Reston, VA USA

Huw Peach, there may be a consensus about climate change, there is no such consensus about it's causes. The intergovernmental climate change panel, including many non-scientists, and which by its very name has a political agenda, has decided that CO2 is the root cause of all evil, other climatologists and scientists can find no such correlation. The amount od CO2 in the atmosphere is minute, but unfortunately we all breathe it out. Therefore even without cars and industry there would have been an increase in CO2 levels commensurate with the increase in the population. As we cannot persuade billions of people to throw themselves on their swords for the common good, we have to blame something else.

David Leslie, Perth, Scotland

Alan D, Avondale, PA / USA: "Hey Dan, one volcano puts out more CO2 than the entire history of mankind. Stop confusing CO2 with pollution. As for deforestation logic says the more CO2 the better off our forests would be. CO2 = plant food. And besides only a fool would think that the sun would have anything to do with the temperature
on Earth...Right?"

Hey Alan, Of course the sun is a factor, but so is the unparalleled amount of pollution (including CO2) that we're putting out. As for the forests, if there is so much less in the way of trees then you kinda have a problem with the amount of oxygen being produced, no?

Dan, Hampton, UK

D'argent, London - There's those words again - "the same". Who said anything about the global warming being 'the same' on Mars as it is here on Earth? Certainly not the writer of this article.

Consider this: There is gravity on both the Earth and the Moon - but by no means are they 'the same'. What you call 'selective thinking', I call a healthy sense of scientific sceptisism and an unwillingness to jump to unfounded conclusions. Science isn't just skin deep.

Assumptions such as yours have led to some of sciences biggest mistakes in the past - it wasn't that long ago, historically speaking, that people assumed the Earth was flat. Right now, I think we'd all be better off considering ALL points of view and not just our own limited interpretation...

ian, Lancaster, UK

Can everyone please listen to the following where the scientist concerned makes it plain that warming on Mars and warming on Earth having nothing to do with each other and that Mars warming is due to shifting light and dark deposits, leading to a slight change in the colour of Mars and so it absorbs more heat from the sun. It has nothing to do with more radiation from the sun. Those using Mars warming to hit at Earth based climate change are incorrect and are just repeating oil companies propaganda. Listen to the science!

nick ayres, huddersfield, UK

Interesting,..... Earth is warming,.... so is Mars. I wonder if there is corelation between the two,.... an increase in Solar Output perhaps? I agree with DJ from Yuma. Pseudoscience has pushed the global warming issue to laughable extremes. The general public is being fed "convienent facts" and starved of real science. Anyone who dares to suggest alternatives to Global Warming are austersized and black balled in the scientific community.

WD Canada

Will, Edmonton, Alberta

Sorry but although your comments may be logical, they are based on a lack of knowledge and understanding. Firstly, the warming on mars may not be related in the slightest. In fact the majority of research suggests this. It certainly isnt a basis on which to decide whether climate change as a result of anthropogenic activity exists or not! Secondly, the evidence supporting the theories of climate change, though not conclusive, is extensive and accepted by the vast majority of the scientific community. The media, which traditionally presents a balance of both sides of an argument has been biased for many years so that the small minority of scientists that dispute climate change have their views greatly amplified! Climate change is not nearly as controversial an issue as it is often shown to be. The Intergovernmental panel on climate change (look it up) produces reports which are a collaboration of hundreds of scientists across the world and its findings and methods are supported by the..

katie Luxmoore, London, UK

You can drive your 4x4 on Mars only if you use biofuel, otherwise Mr Brown is going to have to tax you more!

Veronica Jones, Hatfield,

lets send Al Gore to help out

Mark, Sanford, FL

How in the world can anyone say that satellites have shown little change in radiation output from Sun in the past 30 years?! Check any graph of solar radiation output, and you'll see an incredible change. As further confirmation, check any graph of cosmic ray incidence, and you'll see an incredible drop in the past 30 years; cosmic ray incidence is linked directly to the solar wind--a higher solar wind, which results from higher solar activity, pushes cosmic rays away more. Cosmic rays have also been linked as a direct factor in precipitation and cloud formation--greater cloud formation means greater albedo, meaning lower temperature. Furthermore, on Mars, greater solar activity means greater carbon dioxide sublimation at the polar caps, meaning not only a decrease therein, but much greater wind activity to stir up dust, thus increasing the effect, just as the effect is increased on Earth due to the effect on cosmic rays and thus cloud formation.

Jason, Charlottesville,

Anyone consider that perhaps the sun might be involved?

There's already a well-established cycle of sunspot activity - wouldn't it be possible for there to be periodic cycle in radiant output as well?

That would account for the warming of the earth and of mars, both taking place in the same time period - without the hand-waving and theorizing about weather patterns and atmospheric gas compositions. Easy to check too - just compare data on all the planets over the same time period.

That type of thinking could lead to a VERY inconvienent truth tho, I'd imagine.

Marc, Aurora, IL

Ed Zuiderwijk, Cambridge, UK: "Dan, from Hampton. Sorry, but you're talking nonsense."

Wow, ED - if YOU say it, then it must be so - right? Have a more detailed look at the variables involved before you jump to conclusions.

Dan, Hampton, UK

We must DO SOMETHING about global martian warming now!

Wayne Rogers, San Jose, Ca

Damien from Katterbach - check out the CO2 and Temperature records from the 1940s to 1970s. CO2 rose while temperature fell.

Foster, Houston, Texas

I suppose that the scientists will say that its our fault too!

Badger, Poole, Dorset

To those postings that apply. Calling carbon dioxide a pollutant is like calling water vapor a pollutant. Furthermore, CO2 comprises less than 0.05% of the Earth's atmosphere. Hardly significant in the larger order of things. The current popular mania over anthropogenic causality of global warming is much (very expensive) ado about nothing. This hysteria is based on nothing more than an unproven and untestable hypothesis which cannot support a valid theory. Computer modeling can, of course...be "modeled". Beware those with an agenda! The real inconvenient truths are those that go unmentioned in AlGore's idiotic hoax of a movie: "An Inconvenient Truth."

DJ, Yuma, USA/Arizona

Steve Savage - yes, natural cycles and temperature fluctuations are well known...everywhere. Including Earth. Why is nature responsible everywhere else, but we are the only culprits here?

d'argent, London,

Was the Martian Ambassador at Kyoto?

Walt, Troy, MI

Check for news articles telling about how the sun
has been more active.

Helen Peck, Fort Worth, TX

Dan, from Hampton. Sorry, but you're talking nonsense. The dust and sand were there in the 70-ties thirty years ago as well, and so was the atmosphere. If those characteristics have changed, then what caused the change? We didn't do it, and actually it is extremely unlikely that something fundamental has changed on Mars just while we were looking. That leaves an external cause for the observed warming as the most likely candidate, whatever that cause may be.

Ed Zuiderwijk, Cambridge, UK

I think they should send algore to Mars to check it out.

Poysun Ivy, Phoenix,

Quick call Al Gore. Do you think that the Mars warming and the polar ice cap melting could be because of Martions or is it Dick Cheney, George Bush and Haliburton?

KBary, Boston, MA

Look, not to discount pollution, which is obviously a bad thing... but this does suggest and to some even confirm that global temperature change might have other sources then the man-made ones. This is a perfect example of why science should not to walk around pretending that it has all the answers, because it is far too easy to argue specifics. However, I think anyone can agree that pollution is bad... which is why I can't understand why we need to get into Global Warming and its theorized causal catalyst CO2 simply to get the idea of reduce/eliminate pollution.

moduz, Wilmington, DE

I'd like to hold a world-wide concert to raise money and awareness about the most serious crisis we now face-"Martian Warming." Any money raised can be used to fund my personal research facility which is devoted to studying the effects of the earth's own gradual global warming on the carbonation level of domestic versus imported beer.

Rich Lynough, elmira, New York

Why are the people who insist on denying the science of global warming almost always politically conservative? Could it be because they are also devoutly religious and therefore cling to irrational, nonsense thinking not based in reality? As we all know, throughout human history, religious people and science have always been like oil and water. This unfortunate situation evidently continues.

jeff clauser, chicago, USA/Illinois

Dan's recipe for convincing the ignorant:

One part self-righteous posturing
One part snide sarcasm
Two parts anti-Bush "frenzied bleating"

But you left out: Shaken, not stirred

David Littlejohn, Piqua, USA/Ohio

At last, proof of life on Mars! Everyone's favorite Martian drives a SUV too!

Charles, Dallas, TX

I guess Martians must wipe their butts with tp too.

Tom Greeley, Racine , WI

Contrary to what the (mostly North-American) commentators are saying here, there is a SCIENTIFIC consensus about global warming on our own planet (see Naomi Oreskes' Science Magazine article on peer-reviewed climate change papers, 3rd December 2004).

This report about Mars adds to our understanding, but it does not suddenly mean that carbon pollution in Earth's atmosphere is any less dangerous, does it?

I just thought some of the contributors to this forum who have not yet made up their minds, might be interested.

Huw Peach, Shrewsbury, UK

Perhaps the sun's activity has something to do with Mars' global warming, just as it does on earth. As I understand it, this is the point being made by the "dissident scientists" who refuse to be steam-rolled by the current political movement that embraces mankind as the major culprit for our warming. I would hope that this might give the "Al Gores of the world" pause for thought but I doubt it. There is far too much money and political power to be made re-engineering humankind's activities.

Geoff MacPherson, Renton, WA

This isn't news. Mars has always had a cyclical shrinking and growing of ice at its poles. They've been observing that for decades.
It has nothing to do with global warming on earth.

Jupiter's red spot also has changed over the past 300 years, again it has nothing to do with global warming on earth.

I'm sure Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter, Malkin, O'Reilly and others will pounce on this one even though none have a degree in climatology or even astronomy.

Steve Savage, OKC, USA/ Oklahoma

Alex, Cambridge - why exactly will there be nothing to inherit? Go and check out Lomborg, and you 'll see that the planet has become a much nicer place over the past three decades.

d'argent, London,

What is clear to me is that the radiation being emitted by the solar systems second fireball, Earth is heating up the other planets as well.

In reality we probably are heating up the earth more by burning things, etc.. so as the ice caps melt and there is more surface area of water, evaporation should increase and the Earth will cool down on its own.

I mean cmon people Al Gore wanted to conserve water by lowering the flow of water through your toilet! Does he think that once you go potty that water is forever gone??? Al Gore IS junk science.

Walt, Troy, MI

You can produce mountains of evidence.... but the left will still cry for more government regulations.

Tim, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Global warming is a naturally occurring cycle. Manmade pollution, also, is a cycle. When man has polluted the planet that he lives on such that he can no longer survive as a species, the cycle of nature that recycles the remains of humans and their pollution will complete. Nature will reclaim all that which man has produced. And, I suppose, another form of life will then be enabled to progress to that same point of no return, when the cycle is repeated. We, as humans, do need to recycle as much a possible, use energy wisely (after all, it is free from the sun), and try not to pollute our planet beyond habitation. Our grandkids will thank us for our wisdom.

Winford Nettles, Jacksonville, Florida

Chicago, IL was once under 30 feet of ice when the earth was colder and The Great Salt Lake is a remnant of an inland sea when the earth was wetter and warmer. Both are likely to occur once again in the future. As much as we modern humans would like to belive human acitiviites can control the climate, this only reflects the same primitive belief system centered around the concept that humans could control their environment. Whether by human sacrifice that might cause rain in a drought or result in a bountiful harvest or driving a Prius might forestall climate change the fundamental underlying human need to feel in control is the same.

The hsyteria with which the proponents of anthropogenically induced global warming promote their belief system in the face of contrary scientific evidence is quite remarkable. It is evidence that climate change has trancended science and become a religion of enviromentatlist zealots. Exchange you Aztec obsidian blades for a the death of capitalism your burning stakes for stifling economic development, as nothing changes slower than human evolution.

Matt Lafleur, Madison, MS

"As an American, I would personally like to apologize for Al Gore"

-

Apology accepted :)

Cliff, Marseille, France

Life on Mars? As we all know, global warming is caused by CO2 emissions from industrial activity. There is global warming on Mars. Ergo there must be life on Mars that is generating industrial CO2 emissions. QED

David, Middletown, USA/CT

Your all taking this too seriously. Everybody calm down and relax. Have an Island drink, and relax.

Jerry Fitzgerald, Peabody, MA

Scientists already know the Sun can chnage our climate, solar storms or the fact the Sun is putting out more heat. Anyway, Global warming/climate change could be changed via human intervention. To jump to the conclusion we may or may not be the cause of it,
doesn't really matter?

No it doesn't, the point is whatever is changing our climate to a harsher one is really going to put a stress on the way we live. Perhaps if humans understood how nature works and how this climate change is going to affect us, then we can see how important it is to keep our planet the way it is. Or even try and cope with the change in itself and survive.

chris, essex, uk

it seems evil Martian conservative Republicans driving around in their SUV's are having the same effect as here on earth. What Mars needs is ALgore to go and fix the proble there also with his carbon offsets.

Wesley, New Bedford, MA

Correlation is not causation?!?!?!?! Outstanding argument, so if we can correlate the fact that Carbon increases with Temperature, can we also argue that the correlative and causative effect there are still not understood specifically since there are scientists out there that are still explaining that there is no positive proof that CO2 comes before temperature increase. They do however agree CO2 and temperature are both related in some manner. (ie they both increase at a rate).

Damian, Katterbach, Germany,

Global Warming in terms of CO2 emissions is almost certainly poppycock and balderdash. These cycles of climate change have been happening across the millenia.
Global Warming ,in terms of marketing, taxation and associated restrictions and penalties, has become a very CONVENIENT 'TRUTH' for those who wish to extort more money from the frightened and gullible. It has dollars and pound signs written all over it.
The notion that mankind should use earthly resources more efficiently and sensibly is a completely separate argument but one which is being steadily hijacked by the 'recycling police'.
We are caught up in an era of disinformation, where the ultimate goal is totalitarianism on a global scale.

gillray, doncaster, england

This provides just the rationale I think we all needed to be sending Al Gore to another planet to work on this issue. Or perhaps we can launch him to the Sun as it just could be part of the cause.

Or, maybe this just proves that there are Martians after all- driving Martian Humvees and burning coal for power all under the surface of Mars.

martin, Memphis, TN

Actually the facts do show an extremely active solar period in the last 15 years. I wish the media would report opposing views to their "darling" mr. gore.

jeff gopon, chicago, il

I LOVE some global warming. Looking forward to another 0.6 degrees C here over then next few hundred years. You know, palm trees... toes in the sand... mai tai's... yeah baby! Please, lets all do our part and drive what Algore rides in (last time I saw him on Alki Beach with Joe) which is a real nice, BIG black SUV. Also planning on getting a Gore-sized house. Hopefully everyone will follow suit.

This is happening on Venus too by the way.
Nice try with the sand storm theory.

Scott G, Seattle, WA

Hey,
Even, Lillehammer, Norway...How do you know what has been happening for the past 3.5 million years?
Joe-Denver

Djoe, Denver, CO, USA

In answer one of your contributors, the reason that the Americans don't accept that global warming is man-made is the same reason that the majority of British people don't believe it. They are not sheep who are willing to be told how to think by career Greens, sycophantic left-wing, anti-middle class journalists and tax-hungry governments.

The global warming debate would attract a lot more public credibility if governments dedicated resources to improving emissions rather than used the issue as an excuse for imposing more spurious taxes on middle class voters. But, that would require those governments to believe what they are saying, which is wholly unprecendented.

MARK, London, UK

A few years ago a danish research suggested that the present temperature rise on earth had to do with increased solar activity. It was put aside by many scientists and environmental groups as their research results were considered to be in support of anti environmentalists. Maybe that study should be looked at again as this result seems to support that research. Global warming? Just a case of space weather.....

Robert, Leiden, Holland

A lot of people are assuming the 'Mars cooling" conclusion is based on 1 set of photos taken in the 1970's and and set taken recently. It that true?! A much more likely scenerio is that the conclusion is based on hundreds of thermal images captured from telescopes on earth over the last 3 decades and the most recent photos were just confirmation. It is hard for me to believe serious scientists would make such an idiotic mistake as to think martian temperatures do not vary from year to year without some kind of cooling or heating trend.

Chris Green, San Jose,

It amazes me how that we experience wide temperature fluctuations of 70 to 80 degrees F. every season due to the natural tilt and orbit of the earth yet we want to blame a miniscual temperature rise on our own activities. What if our orbit has shifted slightly closer to Sun or the tilt of Earth slightly more than previous. Regardless, the fact remains which cannot be disputed is the increase in solar activity affecting not only the Earth but Mars as well. If something is going to destroy the earth it certainly isn't going be me or 100 million other people driving SUVs. Global Warming already caused an end to one ice age without fossil fuels or domesticated cattle. Climates change, that is a fact. What we need to be concerned about is the scare mongers (Al Gore's of the world) creating this catostrophic doom and gloom atmosphere in order to make money off of "Carbon Offsets" while attacking a free capitalistic society with unreasonable envirionmental laws doing the planet no good.

Ron, Atlanta, GA

New research has shown that dusty tornadoes called dust devils and gusty winds have helped the surface of Mars become darker, allowing it to absorb more of the sun's rays. This process has decreased the planet's albedo, its ability to reflect solar radiation. The team's results, published in this week's issue of the journal Nature, show that the decrease in Mars's reflectivity has caused a warming of 1.17 degree Fahrenheit (0.65 degree Celsius) between 1975 and 1995. The study also predicted that Mars will continue to warm, due in part to a cycle caused by the planet's darkening surface. "The darkened surfaces warm up, heating up the air just above the surface. This encourages formation of dust devils, which sweep up dust and [further] darken the surface," Fenton explained. In addition, she said, the temperature difference between Mars's light and dark areas may cause an increase in gusty winds, which further perpetuates the cycle. Or if you believe the other comments it's martians!

andrew, manchester, uk

Many species went extinct before homp erectus existed, the reslulf of Darwinian natural selection.

ldaily, Houston, TX

Most people now are pretty well convinced that global warming is human induced...or at least seriously impacted by human activity.

Here is an interesting article that suggests that is may be extra, i.e. solar in origin...feeding the argument of a variety of interests (coal, oil, etc) that it's just a natural phenomenon.

The important thing though, is the human proclivity (in a global sense) to decide one thing is false and another true. I suspect it is almost against our nature to even consider that these suspected causes are not mutually exclusive. They are likely both true.

Why would we not want to use the intelligence we have evolved (at least some of us) and do what ever can be done to limit the effect of this "natural" phenomenon to at least attempt to preserve the world as we know it?

Is it wrong to fight "nature" ?

O.K. Next time it's -5 degrees spend the day outside without a coat.

Lorenzo Lacovara, Edgewood, USA / New Mexico

John, from College Park, MD;

Climatology is a interdisciplinary subject involving many topics. Most of the major topics involved, for example fluid dynamics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics are well established branches of physics. Climatology is thus a science in its own right.

As to why they cant accurately predict hurricane path or strength, at the first level it is because the models required to describe the climate are highly complex involving many parameters and even if they could be written down as exact equations, it would be impossible with modern computing power to solve them in a human lifetime. For this reason, the models are simplified to show general trends over seasonal variations and not exact answers.

John Service, Oxford, UK

Chicago, IL was once under 30 feet of ice when the earth was colder and The Great Salt Lake is a remnant of an inland sea when the earth was wetter and warmer. Both are likely to occur once again in the future. As much as we modern humans would like to believe human activities can control the climate, this only reflects the same primitive belief system centered around the concept that humans could control their environment. Whether by human sacrifice that might cause rain in a drought or result in a bountiful harvest, driving a Prius in order to forestall climate change reflects the same primitive human need to feel in control of their environment.
The hysteria with which the proponents of man made global warming promote their belief system in the face of contrary scientific evidence is quite remarkable. It is evidence that climate change has transcended mere science and become a religion of zealots. Exchange your Aztec obsidian blades for a the death of capitalism. Intellect optional.

Matt Lafleur, Madison, USA/MS

Gerald, USA.

Why is the moon not heating up?

The moon has no atmosphere, that's why.

RMR, Kinston, Canada

This article is about Mars and has nothing whatsoever to do with Earth. The anti-science, religious based Republican crowd must really be hurting for entertainment.

jeff clauser, chicago, USA/Illinois

If CO2 is such a powerful greenhouse gas, why has Mars, with an atmosphere of 95% CO2 not warmed any more than earth, with it's .3% CO2? WIth the martian polar ice caps melting, that should pump even more CO2 into the atmosphere, resulting in even more warming. That it's not happening says to me that CO2 ain't all it's cracked up to be as a global greenhouse gas.

Without energy from the sun, the temperature of earth would be a few degrees north of absolute zero, so to say the sun has no influence over global warming is absurd.

"The mechanism at work on Mars appears, however, to be different from that on Earth." Well, duh! The two planets are totally different. What they do have in common is the warming energy from the sun.

I think the fact that both planets are showing basically the same temperature increase in spite of their huge climatic and atmospheric differences points to the sun as the major culprit here.

Lee, Birmingham, Alabama/USA

These comments have all made me laugh hard. Seems there is no shortage of wit yet in the US. And I am glad that we as a country here in the US have been sceptical of the whole "warming" mantra, as I think our scepticism will prove to be warranted in the years to come as science catches up.

It seems the rest of the world however bought the whole thing hook line and sinker, as we see by the deafening silence here in the comments from the global commenters. That makes me wonder what it was about our national character that made us able to rebel against the line that was being forced down our throats by a global "consensus" of elites. Maybe there is something about our educational system in the US that isn't so bad after all. It seems to help us to think for ourselves.

Claudia, Atlanta, USA

Is the Mars Rover a SUV? Next thing you know the government is going to impose a "green tax" on space probes to Mars.

Tom, Rugeley, Staffordshire

To...Dan, Hampton, UK

Hey Dan, one volcano puts out more CO2 than the entire history of mankind. Stop confusing CO2 with pollution. As for deforestation logic says the more CO2 the better off our forests would be. CO2 = plant food. And besides only a fool would think that the sun would have anything to do with the temperature
on Earth...Right?

Alan D, Avondale, PA / USA

Let's not compare apples and oranges.

Apples are reddish, oranges are orangish. Neither have anything to do with the sun. Without the sun, apples and oranges will do just fine on their own. Because of consensus science, I know these things.

But, we must explain how CO2 can cause the temperatures to rise in such a manner to leave out that remote possibility that rising temperatures can cause CO2 to rise. Because of consesus science, I know these things.

And finally, because of consensus sciene, we know that temperatures on such vastly different planets as Mars and Earth could not have anything to do with the Sun. So let's not compare Apples, Oranges, Mars or Earth with the Sun. You silly non-scientists.

K Michaels, Orem, Utah

Sheree Gibson,Rickmansworth.

Much of what you say is undeniable but your opening statement is for the most part wrong.
"Ok, so no one can agree on whether or not global warming is or is not occurring."
Few people disagree on Global Warming but they do disagree on:

A: What is the cause.
B: what is the cure.

This is important because it involves huge expenditures and contrary to popular opinion ,governments do not manufacture money. It must come from the tax payer via taxes.
You decry over-mining,over=fishing,over-foresting to supply peoples wants but is it true. Overproduction of anything destroys the market.and thats the last thing business wants to do.

Humans returning to the stone age may solve this problem
but are you willing to lead the way???

Trying to solve the worlds problems is a noble endevour.

But you need to think with your brain,not your heart.

Saladin, Greenwich,

Methane, a "greenhouse" gas which traps heat at a much faster rate than CO2, is also much more abundantly generated by human activity; i.e., cattle raising for hamburgers. While I wholly support clean energy alternatives, we simply must greatly reduce beef consumption if we wish to put more than a pinprick in the global warming diasaster. I have not eaten beef in over 30 years and found it to be a virtually effortless dietary modification. Also very good for the health! The cattle industry also dangerously reduces atmospheric O2 via massive deforestation, and the runoff creates E Coli contamination of our vegetable crops. If you're looking for a way you can personally fight global warming, abstaining from beef is a very powerful, effective and inexpensive tool you can start using right now! Let's give the Big Macs a rest!

Geoffrey A. Mazer, Los Angeles,

I strongly suggest to all of those saying that the mechanisms causing global warming on Earth are different to Mars and that we should look at the evidence here on Earth to do just that.

Whenever the Earth has had lots of dust in the atmosphere, say from a volcanic eruption, the Earth has COOLED DOWN. What do you think would have caused a nuclear winter, radiation?!?!

Far from the assertions of (mostly European) posters, there has never been direct evidence that higher CO2 levels cause higher temperatures rather than higher temperatures causing higher CO2 levels. A correlation dust not explain causality, merely a relationship. Incidentally, CO2 fallen over the past few years, but have temperatures? No.

Attempts to explain away the evidence against made made global warning are getting more and more hysterical.

Christian, St. Neots , UK and not the US

As a member of the next generation, which will still be around to witness a) global warming annihilate our planet or b) the debunking of a politically motivated myth (both expected to occur within 50 years or less) I would like to respectfully request that those of you who are going to be dead by then anyway please stop pointing out what a scam it all is.
As a member of the next generation of climate scientists and engineers in particular I would like to respectfully request that those of you who will be dead by then please refrain from abusing our planet and resources; we shouldn't have to clear up your mess just because you had no motivation to stop.
I don't care if it turns out to be a lie. I don't want to take that chance. And although our generation will one day inherit the earth from yours, I'm beginning to wonder if any of us really want to. It's not like there's going to be much left.

Alex, Cambridge,

"Maybe you just need to go back to college..."

I wonder if certain commenters on here actually went to college.

Right. Let's get this straight. This is not about "tree hugging". It's about people. Global warming is likely to kill off the human race. We will never destroy Earth, and nobody is arrogant enough to presume such a thing. But we will destroy humanity. If you can live with that, go on, do your worst.

starling, Lancaster,

There is substantial evidence that global warming is taking place on nearly every body in the solar system, from the Sun whose output has gradually increased to Pluto whose atmosphere is not freezing as predicted at this point in its orbit. It is naive and egotistical for Mankind to think it has so much power as to effect climate change, or that we can do anything about it.

The Universe is not only queerer than we imagine, it is queerer than we can imagine, to borrow a phrase.

Bernard Grover, Houston, Texas

why are all the "what climate change?" types jumping all over this as evidence that 'it's all the sun's fault", without the slightest wondering why the moon, for instance, wouldn't be warming up if it were due to the sun?

gerald zuckier, hamden, usa

If there were little green (or red) Martians, and if they had access to the internet, they would undoubtedly be chuckling over their cornflakes at the almost incredulous stupidity of the majority of the comments posted here. Of course the Sun is likely to be the ultimate cause of climate change on both planets. It is, after all, the primary source of energy in our solar system. However, it does not follow that it is the only cause of climate change. The real point of this article is that climatic conditions matter and it is perfectly possible that our actions are either causing or accelerating a process of climate change. Of course, we do not know that this is the case, and sadly, we may not know for sure until it is too late. For my own part, however, I am not sure that it is a chance that I would like to take simply for the sake of massaging a politicised bigotry, of whatever affiliation, or a self serving desire to drive a tank to work.

Richard, London,

Climate change hits Mars
We cannot control the PLUTO, Cannot control the Arctic and the Antarctic,NASA has bags and bags of money to look for the new planet for water then we boil this too. Where are our brains? Darwin may have been right. I dont' know . When I meet him I will ask.

Firozali A.Mulla MBA PhD, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

At this time America is being demonized as the worlds

greatest producer of Carbon dioxide.

The best data available indicates that by yearend 2007

China will overtake the U.S. in CO2 emmisions.

Will China be demonized ? or is the entire Global Warming fiasco simply part of a Hate America program.

Saladin, Greenwich,

Brian Konash says of Mars: "Less airborne dust, more sun, it gets warmer."

Exactly the opposite of Lori Fenton's theory.

Which is it to be?

What fun to see cultists in a panic.

Dan Baynes, Barton Seagrave,

Halliburton helped build the Mars Rover! They must be responsible for the melt. We should close them down before they destroy the whole universe.

charles Akins , College Station, TX

Silly rednecks, Mars isn't mentioned in the Bible so it doesn't exist anyway.

Oldhickory, The Hermitage, USA

Ok, so no one can agree on whether or not global warming is or is not occurring. Fine. But not one person can disagree that humans are having a huge impact on the planet. Im not necessarily talking about Co2 etc, but deforestation, deep sea fishing, and all the other irresponsible selfish actions that we as humans do to fulfill our energy "requirement" and wants and needs (mahogany furniture or palm oil anyone?). Species biodiversity as a result, is being decreased due to human-caused extinction. Humans as a species are evolved to be selfish, but how come pretty much all other species manage to, if left to their own devices, survive in synchrony with their habitat, their environment. Humans dont seem to be able to do this, we just consume consume consume, then leave the left overs for others in other generations to deal with. Like i said, selfish. And i thought that humans were supposed to be all-loving? Maybe not.

Sheree Gibson, Rickmansworth, UK

What Does A;l Gore have to say about this? I am sure he will have an explanation....

SBhatt, Louisville, KY

There must be Republicans on Mars! We may,indeed, be seeing evidence of life ,on other planets.

Jim, Dallas, TX, USA

Climate change on mars? Based on a set of readings in the 1970's and a new set of readings thirty years later? I guess it hasn't occurred to scientists that you can get different readings from one year to the next. As far as earths temps rising, in the 1970s we were experiencing a period of cooling and the scientists were saying we were entering a new "ice age". Well put 2 and 2 together all you so called scientists! If temps had cooled in the 1970s then the readings you took at that time were lower than average, so when you compare 1970s temps to temps thirty years later it's going to appear that the worldwide temperature is rising, DUHHHH! Science often makes the mistake of over anylizing a given subject and ignores the obvious answers right in front of their faces! If man causes global warming then how did we come out of past ice ages before we had the industrial revolution? They are inventing a crisis so they can receive grants to study the situation. Follow the money! Wake up!

Bruce Smith, Chesterfield, U.S.A. / Virginia

People keep saying that just because it is warming on Mars we cannot say that the warming on Earth is correlated to it. This is ridiculouos. I can just as easlily say to them that just because CO2 is at a higher level now than 100 years ago, we cannot say for sure that the warming we are experiencing is caused by it. I think the fact that Mars is warming along with a sun that is more active should be considered when determining legislation to deal with warming. Can't there be several reasons we are warming? Perhaps CO2 has a minimal impact. Perhaps we aren;t as smart as we think.

Bob, New York,

I Believe in Al Gore. I Believe in Gobal warming. I believe, I believe, I believe you are all wrong. Oh No! I see a fact coming! Run. Run. Hide your self and you will be safe. I believe in Al Gore. I believe ...

Jerry , Bozeman, Montana, USA

Wow! How far our 'sinful' earthly lifestyles can go!

Enezio E. de Almeida Filho, Campinas SP, Brazil

Graham Washington DC and vincent rhodes, seattle, wA,

There are no greater deniers than those who fail;t to see truth.You cannot control the climate. I
want you to test this:
During the next Thunderstorm, I want you to go out and stand with your hand's raise and yell out 'Peace , be still!'
See if anything happens. Don't stop trying. Stay there all through the storm until it passes. After it stops you can say you stopped the storm.

Solar system, hmmm. I wonder why the brightest scientists called it a Solar system.

Randall, PhD Physics, Arlington,

This planet apparently had an ice age (before my time). I'm pretty sure that my 4 x 4 didn't melt it. However, I will continue to pay extra high road tax if that helps to make it freeze up again. Haven't seen a 4 x 4 on mars so can't comment.

kaye, swanley, U.K.

I wonder when Al Gore's scare flick about Mar's warming will be coming out.

Rich, Arlington, VA

We have to do something soon before we destroy the rest of the universe... Somebody please buy some carbon credits to protect Mars!

Echeverri, Miami, FL

Ian - Lancaster. If a planet next to our exhibits the same warming that we are apparently undergoing, and does not have all the stuff that people claim is causing it here (cars, planes and all that other stuff) then why should we look for alternative explanations to the sun? As for the state of our planet, I refer you to Lomborg - another voice that the green movement would rather not hear about. I cannot really follow your logic when you claim to want compelling evidence for the sun's effects on planetary climate but state that the arguement here on Earth is tipped in favour of green-house gases. Selective thinking, I suggest...

d'argent, London,

In addition to Mars, Neptune, Jupiter, and Pluto are also experiencing 'global warming." We obviously need to begin warning the space aliens on those other planets to stop driving their equivalent of our SUV's, change to more efficient energy using devices, and cultivate more of their version of our plants and trees to reduce their carbon footprints.

Gary, Jackson, MS

Its down to Martians taking more holidays, those flying saucers are terrible contributers to atmospheric pollution.

mike gee, bournemouth, UK

If only people understood science.

It can be made very simple:
If you take an aquarium and put living mice in it, and then close the lid (you now have a closed system) - what happens if the mice produce more emissions or crap than the plants within the aquarium can assimilate?
Answer = There is a build up of emissions and crap.

This is the same scenario on earth. We are creating a build up of emissions and crap because our rates of resource consumption and rates of waste generation are greater than our ecosystems' ability to assimilate and renew. We end up with accumulation of emissions and crap, meanwhile draining our ecosystem resources (air, water, fertile soil, plant based life etc...).

Whether this results in global warming or not is somewhat irrelevent - the point is that this societal path is unsustainable and eventually the ecosystems' will collapse - and your are children left to suffer the consequences.
Nice work nay sayer's - go ahead and be ignorant.

r, ottawa, canada

I wish that the person that wrote this story would explain how this description differs substantially from what is happening here on earth? Also, Ms Fenton, higher heat can generate higher winds, as anyone who has experienced a summer thunderstorm can attest. I smell a political agenda.

bob t., southern pines, nc

IPCC consensus is a fraud. There is decent on the finding's of the report. I've read other planets and moons in our solar system are heating up besides, Mars. To extrapolate that co2 emissions are causing global warming when H2O has significant more green house effect is ludicrous. Democracy in science does not make it so. ie(speed of light, flat earth, geocentric universe,....) The increase in co2 very well could be the result of global warming. Increase in solar activity is a very clear and logical hypothesis making more sense than Man as the primary cause.

Scott Damow, Columbus, NE

Both sides of this view, in their own way, are correct. Mars is indeed warming, and it is close to the sun- an obvious and direct correlation. Our (as in the US) carbon emissions are a way of life (has anyone paid attention to the statistics on cow feces and the carbon they produce?), and granted, they aren't the best for the environment . But why are we the ones taking all of this upon ourselves? China is the greatest producer of factory products and emissions, and they do NOT produce those emissions with any of the environmental care that we do. Why shouldn't we start with China, and then take a look at how good we are doing?

Gina, Orange County, CA, USA

Obviously if the sun is to blame for global warming on Earth and Mars, we should perhaps write angry letters to the sun asking it to reduce its 'carbon footprint' CO2 emissions, perhaps even consider trade embargos. I personally will not be buying any produce manufactured by the sun until a definite answer is resolved.

Dan, Mancheter, UK,

If you haven't seen the British TV series "The Great Global Warming Swindle" you should! Even BBC showed it. It is a series rebutal by reputable weather scienist with no political agenda. Google it for access.

Gerry Huestis, HARTSVILLE, usa/PA

Now, the trick for the government is to find a student thesis on the internet, showing that there is life on Mars capable of invading within 45 minutes, that the only way they can reach the surface of earth is through holes in the ozone layer caused by the generation of greenhouse gases, and that we therefore need urgent tax increases to save humanity.

Come back HG Wells. Your country needs you now!

MARK, London, UK

"The mechanism at work on Mars appears, however, to be different from that on Earth."

that is because of the lack of grants and taxpayers money being spent on programs whose real goal is to induce changes in behavior

John Stevens, Goshen , IN

So. Dust particles on Mars cause warming. Dust particles on earth (such as a nuclear explosion) cause "nuclear winter?" Guess we suffer from different laws of physics. Perhaps Pope Gore the First can explain it to me, after all, he invented the internet!

Dan, Shamrock Lakes, Indiana

I think that an immediate congestion charge should be levied and that Ken Livingstone should get up there and make certain that it is implemented.

E J Murray, Kerry, Ireland

Mars and Earth are warming at the same rate??? sooln we will find another planet also warming at the same rate? and yet the religion of the Wacky MAN IS NO GOOD
WE ARE KILLING THE PLANET do not see a correlation. What ever happened to Occam's razor? If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck and walks like a duck.. perhaps... just perhaps?? It is not the Purple Goose from outer space they say it is...

edward, Chiang Mai, Thailand

That makes sense - blame the warming on the Martian wind kicking up dust. I'm sure there was never any wind there before.

Foster Linn, Naperville, Illinois

As I understand the debate, many (most?) climate scientists would agree with a statement like the following, "The world is getting warmer, and it is more likely than not that man-made CO2 emissions are at least part of the cause." What I have a problem with, is the AGores of the world telling me we must, therefore, immediately turn our economy on the head. Then the third world chimes in, because the sensible solution is for the US to send them a lot of money for carbon offsets. News of this sort should certainly give one pause about how much (if ay) we atttibute to CO2 and what steps we take. I am, however all for reducing oil use so that we stop enriching mideast fanatics, but Canadian oil shale or US coal might be a good alternative.

The problem with the whole global warming panic is that it has happened before (no more ice age), and that to suppose that we should panic implies that we can do something about it, and that we know that the current temp is the right one.

Scott, Minnepolis, USA

Hardly coincidence, since we know that solar radiation fluctuates. Since we also know that a small solid object with a dark surface warms up much faster than a large wet object with protective reflectors (clouds to the non-scientific), Mars warms up at the same effective rate as Earth.

I'm sure that those that rely on the same Laws of Thermodynamics to get around the planet will try to disprove this. The resulting crackpot theories should prove interesting diversions from run-of-the-mill science fiction stories.

But it won't stop an ice-cap from melting.

KR, Stockport,

There is one big problem with the sun "theory" of global warming (advocated by so many here, but unfortunately without any evidence): the radiation from the sun is NOT going up and hasn't been for the last three decades. So there must be something else behind this. Some think the solar system could be passing through clouds of dust in the universe (the milky way is moving you may know) in periods, and this could cause cooling, and warming when there is no dust. We just don't know. What we know is fx: when huge volcanoes send out lots of CO2 in the atmosphere 55 million years ago, the earth warmed quickly by maybe ten degrees celsius. Probably that was the last time there was so much CO2 in the earth's atmosphere as there is now (380 ppm) - and some more. For the last at least 3,5 million years there hasn't been more than 300 ppm at most.

Considering what we know: it's just not smart to run the risk of tampering with the earth's thermoregulating systems as we do. Reduce emissions

Even, Lillehammer, Norway

Question:

A- Are temperatures rising because of increased CO2 concentration in the atmosphere????

B- Are concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere increasing due to increasing temperature on the earths surface?????

If you want to believe "A "you will.

If you want to believe "B " you will.

And all the scientific data from here to hell will not change your mind one iota.

Ergo,thereore and to wit:

This has become totally political problem.

Saladin, Greenwich,

How in the world can anyone say that satellites have shown little change in radiation output from Sun in the past 30 years?! Check any graph of solar radiation output, and you'll see an incredible change. As further confirmation, check any graph of cosmic ray incidence, and you'll see an incredible drop in the past 30 years; cosmic ray incidence is linked directly to the solar wind--a higher solar wind, which results from higher solar activity, pushes the "cosmic wind" away more. Cosmic rays have also been linked as a direct factor in precipitation and cloud formation--greater cloud formation means greater albedo, meaning lower temperature. Furthermore, on Mars, greater solar activity means greater carbon dioxide sublimation at the polar caps, meaning not only a decrease therein, but much greater wind activity to stir up dust, thus increasing the effect, just as the effect is increased on Earth due to the effect on cosmic rays and thus cloud formation.

Jason, Charlottesville,

If I remember right. About a year ago or maybe a little longer. NASA released a report saying all the planets in the universe would warm up by about 3 degrees F, in the next 5-10 years. If so,looks as if they may have been right.

Mike, Drummonds, TN

Peter Kay of Honolulu: extrapolating long-term trends to give expectations of a likely climate in 100 years is presumably easier, or more likely to be accurate, than forecasting what the weather will be like in a particular month, where very local and temporary factors could seriously affect the weather.

Will Duffay, London,

I can just picture all those Martians up there driving their big, gas guzzling SUV's and causing martian global warming...

Uh... kool-Aid drinkers of the Church Of Global Warming.......

IT'S THE SUN, STUPID!!!

Phil Mancuso, Wilmington, NC

We have more than our share of dust storms here in West Texas, and the temperature doesn't warm up too much for us, thank God! It might make it FEEL a bit warmer, just because of all the dust clogging your skin and making it hard to keep cool. Maybe that's what the 'scientists' are talking about on Mars.

Keith Pearson, Levelland, Texas, U.S.

This goes a long way in showing that GW is not caused by man. Those that still believe that it is base that position on faith - not fact. Therefore "green" is a religion. Rush is right - based on the Constitution we should demand a separation of Earth and State.

dtherk, Ft. Wayne, IN

Drat you Terrans, don't send Al Gore here! It's finally warming up nicely here so I can go swimming, we don't want Al here to bollix things up. Thank Sol that he is finally warming things up here. Oh, and keep that stinkng duck there on Terra to, he's quite a pain.

Marvin, Argyre Planitia, Mars

People, this HAS to be tied to the vast right wing conspiracy to completely destroy the earth and the entire universe for economic gain. Obviously, Bush and the Republicans have figured out a way to make the sun hotter, therefor warming up EVERYTHING. Now they can use this to....wait what can they use this for? It has to be tied to oil and controlling the world somehow. I'm not sure how, and I'm fuzzy on the facts in general, but I'll get back to you. Remember though, there is a "consensus" about this.....somewhere....

Eric Colman, Sunnyside, New York

Yes, more research is required before reaching any conclusion regarding global warming. What we need now is less politics and junk science and some real research that applies the scientific method.

R. Huettner, Westford, Massachusetts

What are those Martians doing over there? Are they not aware of the dire consequences? Melting of polar ice caps and the consequent flooding of their continents. Have they forgotten their polar bears, which must be dying in droves?And how about their flora and other fauna that must be shriveling up in the increasing heat? Well, whatever they are doing they better cut that out and sign on to Kyoto!

Steve Zajac, Toronto, Ontario

This proves something that should be intuitively obvious: that fluctuations in solar radiation are a significant contributor to climate change. In addtion, there is the fact that there is no correlation between CO2 levels and the Earth's temperature over a geologic time frame. Face it, the scientific evidence for man-caused climate change is very tenuous at best. As a geologist myself, I would put the whole notion on the ash heap of scientific hypotheses, right along with a geocentric universe.

Tony Giardinelli, Boerne, USA/TX

Ronan, Dublin - do you really think our own dear island home is not being wrecked at a rate of knots?

neil, waterford, ireland, waterford, ireland

Another reason to not empty the dustbins everyweek and for Gordon Brown to tax us heavily. Hope the goverment delete the word 'Mars' when the justify taking our money.

antony rigby, Farnham, England

Would someone please tell me where to get one of these meterologist that have done scientific studys in order to tell me what the weather is going to be in the year 2040. I cant seem to find one able to tell me what the weather is going to be like next week.

Ken, Las Vegas, NV, U.S.A.

The real issue is global population and NOT global warming.

Our planet's resources can barely support 3 billion people.

There are 6 billion of us now and there will be 9 billion by 2100.

Peter, New York, USA

Wind shear causing hurricanes to miss Florida must have gone all the way to Mars too. All the rockets sent into outer space must have affected Mars. It was hot in my backyard in Florida yesterday afternoon, but cool there this morning.

Climate change may be linked to primate change (or not). Regardless; less emissions is a good goal to aim for. Let's just keep our sanity and freedom too.

John, Myakka City, FL

Has the American Flag been damaged, you know, the flag that Representative Sheila Jackson Lee asked about on her tour of Nasa The flag that she said astronauts planted on Mars. I think she'son the House Intelligence commitee.

Joe, Houston, Texas

I just want to know if there have been any studies on whether our moon is also warming up?
If global warming is indeed being caused by the sun then there should be temperature changes on the moon as well as the other planets and their moons. I think Mercury is too close to the sun to find out since subtle temperature changs, like a few degrees, would be too small to detect for such a hot place from as far away from it as we are and with our current technology.

Rasheed, Wichita, USA

Mars was stable for thousands of years, but then George Bush lands a pair of Mars rovers and suddenly the planet starts heating up. This cannot be a coincidence. What have those rovers been doing up there anyway? A military mission, I bet! Why does the government has a monopoly on pictures from Mars?

Dave, Pasadena, California

Douglas, Port Angeles, WA: "You go on ahead and worship mama nature if you'd like. I will continue to worship the Creator. "

So nature doesn't exist and an invisible superbeing does? Thanks for my first laugh of the day, Doug.....

Dan, Hampton, UK

Charles Miller, Kings Mountain: "Joe, that's because we Americans know, better than anyone else in the world, that Al Gore is a liberal hack who will say ANYTHING to advance his party's socialist agenda — their agenda being to destroy America's sovereignty and punish the American taxpayers for having a better quality of life than you savages in the rest of the world will ever know."

Have you any idea at all of how insufferably arrogant that last line makes you sound, Charles? Particularly when 13% of all US citizens live under the poverty line as drawn by the US government. Certainly it makes nothing else you write worth reading.

Dan, Hampton, UK

How many 'gas guzzling' 4x4s are on Mars?

Andy, Shropshire, UK

Considering that we cannot live without them, why do we need a reason not to pollute our own air and water? Are we (as a culture) so stupid that our leaders have felt forced to concoct this pseudo-science 'crisis' simply in order to frighten us into doing what we should do anyway? Everyone knows that Global warming is a farcifal financial cow being milked by pretend scientists doing 'research' based on theorhetical data and assumptions. Let's save the research dollars and simply spend our resources to devise better ways of powering our planet.

Daniel Mills, Houston, Texas - USA

I am amazed at the sycophantish nature of some humans in their slavish adherence to the evangelists of their cause. One can find a scientist somewhere that will say what they want to believe. The facts concerning Mars and its global climate change have raised serious questions for me, and I am not satisfied with political pap to explain this away as a mere coincidence. In fact, the rush to do so raises even more alarms with me. I am putting my position on global warming on hold until more facts are presented.

It is time to lay aside political considerations and embrace the search for the real truth. To many of the major players in the global warming controversy have to many other ponies in the race besides the pure truth.

Paul E. Tooley Jr., Boonsboro, USA/MD

Actually, Huw, I am in college right now and there is definitely NOT a concensus among scientists. I took a class dealing with Global Warming that made points both for an against it. Overall, with the facts presented, it was pretty clear that you could very easily form a scientific opinion against the matter, which I did.

Maybe you just need to go back to college...

Nala Olin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

CO2 has not significantly altered. It is CO2 equivalent that has changed. Why do we have to use this false and misleading measure? I am sure that all these bright scientists can handle the top ten greenhouse gasses serarately and stop this concentration on CO2 when the others are more significant. The others don't look so taxable so I am sure the political masters funding the research have a hand in this deception.

David Cage, Highworth, UK

No matter how many times you point out the inconsistencies of Global Warming, its cult members find ways to remain in denial. The article above says that researchers theorize that: "variations in radiation and temperature across the surface of the Red Planet are generating strong winds."

What do you suppose is generating these variations in radiation and temperature? The cars that Martians drive? The excessive utilities used by former Martian vice presidents (actually, Al Gore looks like a Martian).

Get with it you morons. The one common factor here affecting both planets is the sun.

I can see it now: Martians from all parts of the planet gathering for Mars Day, singing Martin protest songs and smoking Martian pot.

Chris , New York City , New York

"Temps rise, and CO2 is rising"...seems to be the mantra of the left here. What if there's no real relationship...I mean, there's been fewer pirates in the Carribean, so that's why there's global warming...if we bring back the pirates, I'm sure the temp will drop. Same logic (if one can call it that.)

Global warming is a faith. The science for it is weak, skewed, dollar-motivated (budget in this country alone up from 150-mil a year to over 2 billion. Think they want that cut off?) and emotively driven.
Just because you feel good about your position isn't proof you're on to something...only that you might be ON something.

Phil, Coupeville, USA/WA

Everyone says we must change our life style because of the climate, but know one can do anythng about it in the hole world.
nasa = Never A Straight Answer.
We can not change the climate, it is done from out side of the univers by forces we do not know.
It is very simple, but a lot of people don" t feel and see it.

annunaki, rotterdam, holland

Martian to Bugs Bunny: That's all folks!

Ron, Rockaway Park, New York

Graham
I always enjoy the measured, open-minded dialogue offered by the left.

Fred, Findlay, OH

"No, it's different than on earth. Didn't you all read that?"

No, they obviously just read the headline.

You lot don't seem to be bothered about coming across rather dimwitted, do you ...

starling, Lancaster,

What kind of lightbulbs are they using on Mars? Are they using one square of toilet paper per bathroom trip.

JD, Taylorsville, NC

Penguins. All those penguins defecating and urinating on the pristine ice is causing dark spots and thus, global warming.
I bet they're on Mars, too. Sneaky little buggers they are.

Jeff Mc., Woodland Park, Colorado, USA

That's right, attack conservatives.....in the meantime let's also note that NASA is saying the same thing about Neptune, Saturn and Pluto the last few years.

Must be all those SUVs on those planets. Get a grip libs.

James, los angeles, CA

No matter what your views may or may not be, we definitely need more thorough investigation. I propose that we send our best and brighest Global Warming proponent minds in academia, US goverment, UN aristocracy along with the media and Hollywood representatives to Mars on an all expense paid trip. Needless to say led by Mr. Gore, of course.

Sam, Saratoga, Ca

This is hilarious. One global warming alarmist asserts that - Correlation does not mean shared causation. However correlation is exactly the basis for algore's trumped up hysteria. Algore uses a historical temperature graph and compares it to a CO2 emissions graph and behold a cause and effect is revealed! Never mind that the temperature graph conveniently leaves out the mini-ice age estimates. And his CO2 graph is a speculative projection since there is no way to measure CO2 globally. So we can all agree that this is a non issue. Thank you global warmists for supporting my position that all of this is a hoax based on uneducated speculation designed to cripple the US economy while enriching the perpetrators of the scam.

DrBubba, Flyover, USA

There is something called critical thinking. The art of one's ability to use rationale and logic. There is no scientific fact of Global warming only a sceintific consensus amongst those who have certain perspectives and always have had. It is a shame that the public cannot critically think for themselves and they instead believe any opinion any scientist or group of scientist says. Have we not learned scientists are wrong very very often? Esepecially when they leave the realm of actual reported facts and enter into conjecture, which is what it is the moment a "scientist" writes a paper over his experiment. 'Logic' By Isaac Watts could do wonders for a lot of you, who will just take things for granted on the basis of a paper degree handed to people.

DB, Forbus, TN

In the last month I read that warming on Mars was being caused by the wobble in its orbit. I laughed at the idea that a supposedly respected scientist would try to fool me in this way. Orbital wobbles cause changes over periods of 10,000 or more years but not in the 10-year range. I felt that the scientist, reported right on Space.com was trying to divert me from thinking that the sun might be the cause. Now when this information came out about the wind I thought of Mark Twain who commented on the shortening of the Mississippi River due to erosion. He joked that the river would disappear entirely in a given number of years. Mars can darken because the sands get picked up by the wind but, like the Mississippi, the trend is extremely temporary.The bottom line is that it has to be the recently warming sun that is the prime factor in warming.

Jim Preston, Minneapolis, Minnesota

This article, although very short - is specific in the causes of warming on Mars which is quite literally coated in dust and sand - both of which will absorb heat. It doesn't mention that Mars's atmosphere is over 95% carbon dioxide and 0.2% oxygen. Carbon dioxide conducts heat rather differently from Oxygen.

I note that this has predictably enough not stopped the frenzied bleating from some of our American cousins, more convinced than ever that the sheer amount of pollution being produced by billions of human beings not to mention mass deforestation has nothing at all to do with global warming. Perhaps they can convince the Connecticut cowboy to nuke that darn pesky sun? I'm sure the Bush administration can find links to Al'Qaeda and the sun just HATES our freedom.

Dan, Hampton, UK

Those who believe that today's climate models are accurate enough to have determined that current warming trends are predominantly man-made can easily make be believe them: please use your models to predict what the average temperature will be in Honolulu, Hawaii for June of 2008.

Give me an accurate 2 year prediction and I'll definitely listen to your 100 year prediction.

If you can't tell me what will happen in two years, why should I believe what you say about what will happen in 100?

Peter Kay, Honolulu, USA, Hawaii

Maybe the hot air coming out of Washington D.C., the Environmentalists, and Al Gore are the "Green House Gases" causing global warming!

John C. Evans, Tempe, USA / Arizona

Mars doesn't have the atmosphere that earth does, so of course its more sensative. Look, space scientist have known for years that the sun is running through a hot streak and its affecting our planet. I'm not in denial that the planet is heating up...it's just, what is the source? Now that's the question, isn't it. Don't be quick to jump on the Human effect so quick. If theres any real problem thats effecting the earth...its over population.

Anthony Adams, Chesapeake, VA

Joe, that's because we Americans know, better than anyone else in the world, that Al Gore is a liberal hack who will say ANYTHING to advance his party's socialist agenda — their agenda being to destroy America's sovereignty and punish the American taxpayers for having a better quality of life than you savages in the rest of the world will ever know.

This latest scientific revelation about Martian climate change is exactly what Gore and his groupies DON'T want to hear. When you take the causes of planetary warming out of the hands of Man, then the Liberal Socialists have nobody to blame, nobody to punish.

Charles Miller, Kings Mountain,

I agree, this article is non-PC. This is the 4th such article I've read during the last 5 months, none of which have been picked up by the mainstream media here in the USA; National Geographic ran a similar piece not too long ago. Of course, if the Republicans do attempt to use this data, the Dem-o-rats are going to go at them as if they are attempting to railroad the American people yet again. So, until Hillary takes office, I strongly believe Global Warming will continue to be played up as GB's fault.

Off subject: God help us all is Hillary gets in office!

David, Ocean Springs, MS

I love these comments from the Algore patrol, desperately clinging to their belief system, despite a continual barrage of contrary evidence (besides this article, the all-too-inconvenient truth of declining global temperatures during the middle third of the 20th Century).

God love 'em, I hope they find some new mission in life when this one finally collapses.

Todd, Richmond, Virginia

While I do agree that Martian warming MAY be a coincidence, and will also concede that yes, it is unscientific to proclaim this as proof that AG-GW is not, in fact AG, do you think for a moment that if Mars and the rest of the solar system (which also happens to be warming) was COOLING that the AG GW-ites would not be citing that as indisputable proof that AG GW is hardened fact? Of course they would. Keep the debate alive and go to church if you just need to believe something.

Bill, Madison, WI

Could someone please check surface temperatures on Venus as well? If Venus is encountering global warming as well, we've got some decent evidence that this isn't entirely a human creation.

Conclusion: Global warming is a natural a phenomenon. HOWEVER, mankind is not helping matters any and should do its best to limit its effect on the situation.

That being said, the problem is neither as dire as the warming worry warts say it is, nor is it as innocuous as the ignorants believe.

Robert, NYC, NY

Could someone please check surface temperatures on Venus as well? If Venus is encountering global warming as well, we've got some decent evidence that this isn't entirely a human creation.

Conclusion: Global warming is a natural phenomenon. HOWEVER, mankind is not helping matters any and should do its best to limit its effect on the situation.

That being said, the problem is neither as dire as the warming worry warts say it is, nor is it as innocuous as the ignorants believe.

Robert, NYC, NY

Just because mars is warming, doesn't mean it has anything to do with the warming of earth. Correlation is NOT causation. Earth is obviously warming because of excess CO2. Even the most cursory look at the past climates of earth shows that higher temperatures are correlated with higher CO2 concentrations, therefore CO2 MUST be the cause of those higher temperatures. (The fact that historic CO2 increases have lagged behind temperature increases by several hundred years, is just a trick used by deniers to pretend they're scientific. Those heathens.)

Robert, Santa Barbara, Ca

I propose economic sanctions on Mars until it's far right wing neo-con government end the denial of Martian-Made global warming and signs the Kyoto Treaty.

Tim, Twinsburg, OH, USA

Warming on Mars is not a new concept and every time an article is written on this fact the gobal warming chicken littles get on the defensive and say that this is some strange coincidence. I do believe the earth is going through a warming phase, but there are far too many variables to consider (including the big one.. the sun!) that to blame it solely on human activity is irresponsible.

All you have to do is follow the money. Environmentalism is BIG business with very little accountability. While billions of dollars are being spent in the name of science and filling the pockets of politicians and entertainers, we could be combating global poverty and disease.

Patrick D., Philadelphia, USA/PA

Yes, could Ronan of Dublin please explain which research papers he has read and which particular pieces of evidence he finds most compelling in the proof that global warming exists. And I dont mean information gained second hand from the TV or media. I mean reading the raw research papers as published in the scientific journals. Because I have read many such papers and they are full of fudges and guess work and conclusions that rely on worse case scenario's. Id be delighted to debate any of this detailed research with Ronan any time he likes.

Dr Kevin Law, Dundee, Uk

It's funny reading some of the comments. Most of you have not actually done your homework and research. The warming on mars is indeed most likely due to the Sun. But not because the sun got hotter. Because the axial wobble, tilt and orbit of mars have changed and are in a position to cause warming. What about the same for Earth? If you look at the same patterns for Earth, we're actually in a cooling trend, and the temperature trend for the last 100+ years cannot be explained without including the effect of ghg's. So before you spew something out, you should research the topic more and understand it. This is a journalistic article, not a scientific one. It does not follow the scientific process in analyzing the information, and is more interested in capturing your attention. More than anything, it's a starting place from which ppl must follow up. Hope that helps and good luck!

ClimateScientist, London, U.K.

It is obvious the Mars Rover we sent up is causing this. Can't we send a monkey up there to ride a bike around taking pictures?

Tom, Norman, USA

Will you European socialists PLEASE get out of the way, you are confusing our liberals.

Andy, Paoli, PA USA

Why is it that all the comments that imply we are not the cause of global warming seems to come from the United States??

Could it be because they are feeling guilty about something? Again, please people read between the lines and not the bloody surface.

The reason for the increase in warmth in Mars is clearly explained.
'The mechanism at work on Mars appears, however, to be different from that on Earth.'

This does not mirror the causes on the earth. WHEN ARE THE AMERICANS GOING TO OPEN THEIR EYES??!!

Sujeewa, Wembley, England

I love the part in the article that says: "Since there is no known life on Mars it suggests rapid changes in planetary climates could be natural phenomena."

As if to say - "it doesn't look like they are involved...BUT we're not ruling out wasteful Amercians just yet"

Will , Fairfax, Virginia

Oh Please do not say that the Martians are going to become our next illegal immigrants?

Anne, West Midlands, England

Why doesn't anyone clue in to the loss of forests over the years/decades?

Mr. G, Canada,

Sorry, guys, but it was Michael Crichton who first associated the global warming cult with organized religion. He drew a complex picture of just how the global warming religion coincides with the Catholic religion.

John Keitz, Fallon, NV

The Enterprise Mission website has a very comprehensive chart that shows all the records of this for all the planets.Very precise records are kept for the planets and the graphs show exactly the same warming scale throughout the solar system.I'm sorry,but there are no yuppies driving suv's around the solar system.The democrats and the UN will have to use force against me if they think I'm paying them taxes,offsets,etc.Science rules,idiots drool.

JeffW, Fernandina, Fl.USA

LOOK all of you global warming is bad ppl need to remember that the reason why you have sooo much resistance is because people don't believe you. Why is that? Let me tell you, it is because what you say is ultimately impossible. WHEN we ask you to prove it you DON'T you just react to the fact that we don't believe you and have just demanded proof, so you offer up corny explantions that can be found as reactions to the planet heating not as causes. If any of you would look up half of the stuff you say, you would quickly come to the realization that everything you suggest would prove the planet to increase the size of the poles and cause a WIDE array of temp.'s on the planet. FACE IT, IT ISN'T HAPPENING!!

Dr.GabMike, Morgantown, WV

First off Douglas, you're right. There wasn't much of a debate in the science community 20 years ago about global warming. Even then, many climatologists had observed that the earth was warming and speculated that CO2 emissions from people were to blame. The debate has been among far-right radicals and fueled by industries that had something to lose if global warming turned out to be true. If your mechanic tells you that your brakes are shot, you generally listen to him and get them fixed. If your doctor tells you that you have cancer, you get the necessary treatments in order to stay alive. So if climate experts tell us that the earth is warming up and it's caused by the rapid increase of CO2 in the atmosphere, why do you doubt them?

Darrin, bloomington, IN

So Alan in Glasgow hasn't heard about the Cosmic Flux model, you should look into it. It more accurately describes the actual profile of current measured temperatures both in the atmosphere and from pole to equator, than any of the 23 IPCC models (warming is at surface, not at the top, the opposite of what the greenhouse models say should happen). It can easily explain all of the warming with just a 2 % reduction in cloud cover. So if the IPCC models can't even get the temperature gradient right, why should we believe their 100 year forecast is correct? Steve in Toronto, don't believe everything you read. When we now have evidence from several planets and moons of concurrent warming, doesn't it make you the least bit suspicious that maybe, just maybe, the UN hasn't quite got it all figured out yet?

Ted, Calgary, Canada

@ Bob Barney
Yeah, you're absolutely right. You obviously know much more than the group of scientists who have studied this kind of stuff for years.

Andy, Reading, PA

It's Bush's fault. He's causing the marsian global warming just to set up more oil refineries there.

Don Quin, Norfolk, Virginia

I get it now!!!

I've finally isolated the logic on which the current, popular, official, AlGor, Global_Warming theory is based on:

Conclusive Proof Theorem [Base Logic Premise]:
- A Moose has nine tails.
- Proof: No Moose has eight tails. One (1) Moose has one (1) tail more than no Moose. Therefore, a Moose has nine tails.

8-P

Dave, Omaha, Nebraska/USA

Breaking News......Al Gore to schedule trip to Mars......... Martians are ruining their planet............NASA tells Gore that they can't use green fuel in today’s rockets.......Gore claims government cover up and interference..............Bush to blame for Mars ice caps melting..........New poll shows Martians for Mars.......Humans for Earth..........Gore for Gore........

bob, Poplar Bluff, MO

So whats causing the heavy amounts of dust on Mars?

The sun?

sam, New York,

Mars warming? Al Gore must have another monster home up there. He always acts like he is from another planet anyway!! Let's see how much media attention this gets.

Ken, Las Vegas, NV

Do you think the former Martian VP has also gained excessive weight in his crusade to save his planet from its inconvenient, naturally occuring phenomenon?

Also, where can I purhcase Martian carbon credits?

Chriis, Charleston, SC

Oh my GAWD. We must really be bad. Not only are we causing global warming on Earth, we are having the same affect on Mars. Someone should let Uncle Al that he was more right than even he knew.
It isn't the Sun it's US. We are bad and must be punished!

Kim Workman, Sterling Heights, Michigan

I knew those nasty little Martians where up to no good. And I thought they would use eco-friendly fuel....shame shame shame!

wef, wqef, fl

How in the world can anyone say that satellites have shown little change in radiation output from Sun in the past 30 years?! Check any graph of solar radiation output, and you'll see an incredible change. As further confirmation, check any graph of cosmic ray incidence, and you'll see an incredible drop in the past 30 years; cosmic ray incidence is linked directly to the solar wind--a higher solar wind, which results from higher solar activity, pushes cosmic rays away more. Cosmic rays have also been linked as a direct factor in precipitation and cloud formation--greater cloud formation means greater albedo, meaning lower temperature. Furthermore, on Mars, greater solar activity means greater carbon dioxide sublimation at the polar caps, meaning not only a decrease therein, but much greater wind activity to stir up dust, thus increasing the effect, just as the effect is increased on Earth due to the effect on cosmic rays and thus cloud formation.

Jason, Charlottesville,

Maybe if we use 1/2 a sheet of toilet paper, we can save both planets.

jeff, Warner Robins,

If you like cold temperatures and high taxes... Move to Canada.

Dave, New Baltimore, Michigan

This is all because George Bush enables Martians to drive their gas-guzzling, environment-polluting SUVs all over the planet. This is clearly a crisis. The time for change is NOW!

Larry Lemur, Philadelphia, USA

"Has anyone else noticed that those most likely to comment negatively, and/or make "witty" comments regarding Al Gore, all seem to originate from Earth?"

bob, cincy, usa

well its very obvious only to rational people who can read the evidence and make their own conclusins. i mean, think about it, which causes more heat? clouds? or the sun? duh! No matter how warm your blanket is if there is no heat source it'll stay cold!!!!

Kris, Tacoma, USA/WA

So now the Martians are causing heat on their planet as well, when will it end?

There are not any cars or cows or rainforrests - would one think it might be the solar system is changing or something logical that we poor dumb folks here on earth got no control over. I have always said a little knowledge is more dangerous than none at all, especially in the right hands.

Richard MacCarthy , Chicago, Illinois

I notice the blame for global warming on Mars falls upon "variations in radiation and temperature across the surface of the Red Planet". What the article fails to explain is what is causing these variations! Could the same source cause such variations on Earth?

Jake, Chas, ,

What does the Mar's atmosphere contain alot of? CO2!!!! Wouldn't this make it more sensitive to increased solar output?

Chet, Lawrence, KS

I don't understand all of this opposition to the truth. Western Europeans and Americans are the sole cause of global warming. When I am elected as Vice President again, I plan to tour the entire world on Air Force 2 to convince all peoples of this fact. The so called "research" put forth in this article was heavily funded by Haliburton and the Bush Administration. Have you forgotten where NASA is located? NASA is in TEXAS! Think of all the money the Bush Administration has thrown into their coffers. Please, for the love of the Earth, elect Clinton/Gore in 2008!

AL GORE, WASHINGTON, DC, US

Let's see now. What does Mars and Earth have in common? HMMMM, the SUN!! Now, the SUN has had increased solar activity for the past 40 years which is very likely to affect ALL the planets and vary based upon the distance FROM the SUN. Maybe our problem is this is too simple an explanation for those who have donated $$ to greenie corps. They're being duped and too embarrassed to admit it!!

K.C. Hull, Anchorage, Ak / USA

Even if humans were not the cause of global warming on this planet, does that mean we should stop recycling? Just because burning fossil fuels MIGHT not have an adverse effect on the planet is no excuse to do it. Anything that forces lazy, ignorant people into doing something potentially helpful, rather than potentially harmful, is surely a good thing.

Sarah, London, UK

Does Al Gore know about this?

Randy, Pleasant Hill, CA, USA.

Mars burns while America fiddles. Have they no sense of responsibilty? Tell them there's limitless supplies of oil and burgers up there - that should get rid of them for a while.

terryp, terra sirenum,

Hey Jacklegs, we are experiencing a solar minimum so it’s probably not the sun. It could however be radiation from outside our solar system or from a yet undetected body within our solar system. Either way the relationship between solar forcing and surface temperature has been altered by the recent build up of heat trapping gases (the Earth’s sensitivity has increased). Of course this is all too complicated and we want to think that we have control for really we have little or no control. Despite that we should do what we can to lessen our demand on Earth. If it’s a source of radiation (energy) other than our sun that’s heating up Earth and Mars and it’s headed our way, then we really cannot know what to expect but need to do what we can to ease the energy balance. Just like the dust theory, what is happening is real but the reasons are unclear.

Concerned Citizen, Darkside, NIBIRU

Well, if this is caused by the sun, does anyone know how long this cycle is going to last?

Brian W, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

So now the Martians are causing heat on their planet as well, when will it end?

There are not any cars or cows or rainforrests - would one think it might be the solar system is changing or something logical that we poor dumb folks here on earth got no control over. I have always said a little knowledge is more dangerous than none at all, especially in the right hands.

Richard MacCarthy , Chicago, Illinois

Everyone is missing the point here, we should be worrying about Solar Warming, let's all get together and figure out how to start cooling the Sun... It is our duty as humans to protect the universe from ourselves

Carlos, Miami, FL

When I was in college in the 70's, I was taught that the Earth was entering into a mini ice age and "billions would die" . Jimmy Carter told us we had to do someting. We had to conserve energy so that we wouldn't freeze in the coming ice age . We had gas shortages. Limits of 10 gallons per fillup and could only buy gas on the days of the month that coincided with the last numbers on our car's license plates ( odd on odd days, etc.). My children are now in college and being taught that the Earth is warming and "billions will die". Same data. Same scientists? Wow, a total 180 degree shift. THE SKY IS FALLING. Scientists ' livelihood depends on grant money. The money is currently in global warming, not cooling. About them, I say, IT'S THE MONEY, STUPID. Regarding the cause of global climate change, I say, IT'S THE SUN, STUPID. In regards to the motivation of politicans like Al Gore, I say, IT'S THE POWER, STUPID. I feel so used.

Carol, Sheboygan, Wisconsin

I second that apology for Al Gore, but at least I can say I never voted for him.

Maybe this will make the Martians finally give up their Hummers.

Kyle, New York, New York, USA

You go on ahead and worship mama nature if you'd like. I will continue to worship the Creator. Is "Green" the new state religion? Notice how all us skeptics are being labeled as heretics? The debate on global warming was non existant just 20 years ago. It was all about global cooling...when this fraud was exposed, the hippies shouted global warming!
I love my Carbon Footprint!

Douglas, Port Angeles, WA

I wonder if anyone has bothered to corelate the rise in Martian temperatures with the "global warming" we are having here on our own planet Earth.

I guess it would wreck many reputations if it does indeed turn out the ...agh!! the SUN is causing glabal warming and not human caused.

Jim Chapman, Beverly Hills, USA/Michigan

Oh dear. It's a shame that the people who 'oppose' global warming tend to ignore basic fact checking in the rush to attack (much like for the solar radiation issue; reliable scientific data shows absolutely no correlation between radiation and temperature changes).

The current climate change in Mars is regarded as most likely originating from orbital 'wobbling' known as Milankovich cycles This is a cause of climate change on earth also, but not at the present day (we are not undergoing this cycle - but Mars is). The different orbit of Mars (which the people going on about the sun seem to forget) also exaggerates the effect of these cycles on climate.

alan White, Glasgow, Scotland

For everyone those of you who are ignorant to what global warming actually is, read: http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2005/10/global-warming-on-mars/

It explains the difference between global warming on earth and climate change on mars. So for those of you who think this debunks the conclusion from most scientists that earth's global warming is partially man-made are simply basing this on your faulty understanding of climate science.

Steve, Toronto,

If only George Bush hadn't sunk Kyoto, none of this would be happening.

Joe, Southinton, CT

Why is it that, it must be dust storms on Mars that is heating that planet up. Instead of what it really is, A SUN CYCLE. All of the solar system is heating up and the last I checked we were not on any of them with our terrible SUV's, Big Trucks and industry. Give me a break.

Mark Shaw, Alcoa, Tn

Good call Tony. We sent the rovers there, so I am sure that Mars warming is our fault too!.

Steve, Chicago, IL

We knew this months, if not years ago. It's just the media and the social scientists that constitute the "consensus" on man-made global warming have intimidated and censored the opposition to their politically motivated power play.

Warming is happening on Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Neptune. How did Americans pollute those other planets? I really want a great climatologist like Al Gore, Heidi Cullen or Sheryl Crow to explain that one to me.

Cheryl, Austin, TX USA

Probably caused by all the "emissions" from our Mars rovers.
;-)

Ariel Miller, Bay City, MI

It's time to 'beam him up!!!' Him being Al Gore and his cronies.....

Lois Ward, Yakima, USA/Wa

It looks like some legitimate observations can be made relative to the degree the suns change is having on planets in our solar system. If, Mars, a planet lacking any industry is showing the same temp changes we are should we not consider what is common between our planet and Mars. The sun is a powerful entity no? I recall during the 70s these same scientist said a new ICE AGE was coming what happened to that? Its unfortunate that people like Andy resort to calling anyone who disagrees with Global Warming as "wackos". I'll tell you what "wacko" is. Its Sheryl Crow telling me how much toilet paper i should use.

Steve, Baton Rouge, Usa/ Louisiana

This is just an update on old news, but yeah I have to laugh at all the Chicken Little's screaming about CO.

Give the herds of cattle beano!

Jim, Cetreville, VA

Quick, pretend global warming isn't a problem and remain ignorant. That's best for all of us concerned with leading unethical lives of materialistic greed. The gases from our cars and factories are good for our atmosphere I'm sure of it.

TXatheist, Round Rock, Texas

If a Land Rover here is an SUV. Then a the Mars Rover there must be an SUV (Space Utility Vehichle) Therefore, there are SUVs on Mars. And there is now warming on Mars. So SUVs DO cause global warming. So correlation DOES equal causation. That must mean consensus equals fact.

Jeff, Dallas, TX,

Enough of this garbage science presented by al-Gore who is going about terrorizing our children. Just for the record, Venus,and Jupiter are all showing signs of Global Warming!!! Those Martians and Juipterians had better watch out and stop generating all those Grean House gasses, Oops Green House DUST.
As I have heard and believe, since I have actually studied this, WE ARE ALL PART OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM, WE ARE ALL ACTUALLY WITHIN THE SUN'S ATMOSPHERE!

Randy Washburn, Arlington,

Like most things that befall the human race, since we live in a "natural" world and humans are part of that world, why do we think the changes which take place on earth are either/or only caused by one phenomena? Most things which occur on earth are multi-causal. Global warming must be included in this category.

Ted Greenwood, Moreno Valley, Ca

We've been advised to "avoid listening to quacks, hacks and carbon industry shills." I would further advise: Avoid listening to consensus scientists chasing climate change cash, portly prodigal politicians pursuing prodigious profit and prize and carbon *credit* industry shills.

Kyda Sylvester, Auburn, California

$5 from each evil human on this planet would fund an Al Gore tree planting expedition to Mars. Good-bye carbon footprint.

Rick, Cincinnati, Oh / USA

I assume that the article referred to is "Global warming and climate forcing by recent albedo changes on Mars" in the April edition of Nature. Contrary to the wild assertions of many of the commentators here this article does NOT refer to increases in the suns temperature causing the changes. It deals with changing dust deposition on the surface of Mars which leads to vast areas "up to 56 million km2 have been observed to darken or brighten by 10 per cent or more" leading to consequently large changes in heat absorbtion on Mars. Whatever you think about climate change on earth, to claim this is relevant to climate change on earth is shockingly dishonest. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth about the motivations, honesty and integrity of those who have misleadingly posted here that it is relevant. There are good arguments to be made, this is not one of them.

Thomas D, London, UK

Yeah lets all comment on a story without understanding what it means and continue to warm up our planet because obviously what happens on Mars must be the same as Earth - well it just makes sense doesn't it? Thats why there is no life on Earth and Venus is completely covered in dense acid clouds.

Come on guys - yes the Sun causes changes in climate, and on Mars so do volcanos, dust clouds etc. Taking all these into account on Mars you can explain the changes. Take everything 'natural' into account on Earth and you can't (yes the Sun has changed in the last century and yes it does account for about 10% of the warming we've experienced). You need to include the human emissions to account for the rate of rise in the global temperature.

And... this isn't a socialists dream. The sooner all you true capatilists wake up to the potential of technology development (and yes profit) that producing a low carbon society would entail the better for all of us.

Al, Cambridge, UK

WOW! Nearly all the comments here are of incredibly learned acamdemics who, flying in the face of massive amounts of rigourous scientific research, have set me straight as to the true causes of global warming.

Thanks guys, I wish someone had told me before that the earth had brought all this upon itself.

Time to climb back in that SUV, go home and sit around the fire spraying CFCs for the evening. Maybe I'll eat some food that has been flown halfway across the world to my plate. And all that with a clear carbon conscience.

Wait a minute! All the global warming 'myth busters' above are from the US, which already has an atrocious environmental record. I wonder if there is a connection...

ronan, dublin, ireland

If it wasn't obvious to anyone yet, here is the truth: Al Gore is in need of a paycheck, period, and he has manufactured a sense of terrorism about this global warming thing in order to do two things, 1. get paid, 2. stay in the spotlight. He loves the stage just like Bill Clinton and he's upset that he's not given the opportunities that Clinton is given to be in the spotlight. There is just as much evidence againt humans causing global warming as ther is evidence for it. To assume that Al Gore, a politician, has better knowledge than scientists, is proof that stupid Americans don't care what a celebrity says, they will believe them no matter what. Anyone who is convinced that humans are the cause of global warming is an ass because the data is just not conclusive!!! Wake up stupid!!!

Bill Manganaro, Columbia, TN

Duh.........those Martians better hurry up and sign the Koyto treaty or they will be doomed like us!
Seriously folks, when something is heating up should you not first check the original source of heat , like oh I don't know maybe the SUN. Oh that's right I forgot, those limousine riding, private jet flying liberal zealots can't legislate sun activity. Now thats an Inconvenient Truth!

Allen, Macon Georgia, USA

sun + mankind = a warming earth
sun - mankind = a warming earth
earth - sun = a cold mankind

uhh The vegetation of the world produces co2 at night

Rodney, Sandusky, Ohio

Tax all people in the world worth in excess of $50 million $10,000.00 per cubic yard on all the homes for heating and air conditioning. Do the same for all corporations that has their CEO's office above the fifth floor. Federal law, no SUV's larger than a VW Passat. They can build plastic domes & raise the seat & lengthen the steering wheels so that those important people can hold on to their superior attitude. It's easy, think of some more & all are problems are solved. Give the Mexicans North & South Dakota and build the damn wall aroud that. Sha doo bee

Jim Hines, Island off the SE coast of US,

Clearly Algore needs to set his sights on Mars next, that is if members of the Stalinist Left release him from his contract with the Devil.

Bruce Davidson, Livonia, MI.

Our galaxy moves through space. Space is NOT homogeneous. We are traversing an area with MORE energy. Is this energized space galaxy sized? solar sized? or other? you decide! But our entire solar system is undergoing changes. And now one is mentioning the elephant in the room, which is braying louder every day - plasma cosmology and the electric universe. Good and Bad may be debated by "You ain't seen nothing yet!"

Sam, Louisville,

I missed the report on how many internal combustion engines are on Mars. Al Gore! Where are you when Mars needs you?

Paul Allen, Morro Bay, CA

It's funny to watch all these global warmers scramble to differentiate the cause of the warming on Mars from the warming on Earth. Of course they have to or it destroys their whole doomsday scam.

Forrest, Atlanta, USA

Poor little Graham in Washington, DC . . . talk about denial!

Paul V. Sheridan, Ithaca, New York, USA

Joe Pearson, York, once again proves that America is to blame for everything... include "witty" comments regarding Al Gore.

Walter, Los Angeles, California

Time to send Earths superhero EL GORO to save the martians day!

Tom, Aliso Viejo, USA

"Has anyone else noticed that those most likely to comment negatively, and/or make "witty" comments regarding Al Gore, all seem to originate from America?

Joe Pearson, York, "

As an American, I would personally like to apologize for Al Gore

Sara The American, Fort Myers Beach, USA

hmmm. I seem to remember Al Gore saying we have raised temprature's on earth by 0.5 degrees.... aweful coincidence. Guess we ought to shut down all those SUV's roaming around on mars. Now the enviro-nazi's will tell us we are warming up mars too. Global warming is such a laugh, everybody so easily forgets we are #8 on the list of CO2 producers, Volcanoes are near the top. Also they forget that the primary source of heat on this world is the sun. The sun fluxuates in temprature. Our planet has a history of climate shift by far more than 0.5 degree's. But then again so few care about history these days. Oh well, guess we get to repeat some more mistakes of the past.

Devin, Oklahoma,

How come when dust stirs up on this planet caused by say...Nuclear War, the effect is colder temperatures but when there is dust in the air on Mars the place gets hotter?

Phillip Hubbell, Omaha, NE

"It gives proof of exactly *nothing* about global warming on Earth.

Graham, Washington, DC"

... The same can be said of Mr. Gores theory....lol

Rick, Chantilly, Virginia

Okay, so now scientists are scrambling to make up an excuse for why Mars is heating like the Earth. If they say it's because of the Sun then the gig is up and the funding for global warming is gone... so now, it's because of... duststorms. Yep, dustorms.

Rory Miller, Owensboro, Kentucky

Would someone please stop calling "climatologists" scientists? What science do they perform? Why can't they accurately predict hurricane path or strength? Why do we insist on calling them scientists when they can't accurately predict the weather next week, let alone another 40 years.

Climatology is as scientific as astrology.

As for the U.N., sponsor of the IPCC, ever been a stalwart bastion of truth. Human Rights Commission, anyone? lol

John, College Park, MD

uh oh we better get a message to the aliens on mars, they need to follow our lead and stop using gasoline in their ufo's

bill, baltimore, md

Nothing has been "proven" or "disproven" about climate / temperature change on Mars or Earth.

Screaming it doesn't make it so.

Man Made Global Warming should be capitalized out of reverence because it is a religion after all.

If we are entering another interglacial peak, progress will save us before piety.

D. Nelson, Roanoke, VA

Guess this is also George Bush's fault!!

Lisa, Atlanta, GA

Perhaps Al Gore can send some of his carbon credits to Mars.

Don, Tampa, Florida

Must be the emissions from all those Mars Rovers we've been sending up there!

John Hunter, Albuquerque, USA / NM

Hey all this Global warming crap is wearing me out. Tell you what I still like the idea of cheaper electric bills and hey what about transportation, I can't speak for everyone but I'm tierd of buying gas. My Texas Truck Sucks it down.

Troy, San Antonio, USA, Texas

I wonder what the gas prices on the Red Planet are right now? Oh and is Gore trying to tell the Martians that they need to go alternative fuels as well? Come on Mr. Gore. I know that you are bored since you invented the Internet, it sounds like you need to wake up.

Orion, Phoenix, AZ

Ah do you think Mars has an Al Gore, and what would he be called? Algorian, Algorite, Algorithm, Albumin?

David Meisner, Beverly Hills , California

2This article reports a scientific finding about Mars. It gives proof of exactly *nothing* about global warming on Earth. "

You know that, I know that, but the people who want to drive their SUVs without feeling guilty don't want to know that.

starling, Lancaster,

Global warming is almost completely man made. All this proves is that there is life on Mars. I don't understand how everyone missed the real story.

Brian Waldman, New York, NY

The climate on Mars is driven by changing albedo caused by dust in the planet's thin atmosphere. Less airborne dust, more sun, it gets warmer. But pesky planetary facts will not stop the climate change deniers from surveying the solar system for fodder to feed their increasingly desparate war against scientific opinion at home.

Brian Konash, NY, NY

I could just be that the sun is getting hotter. It is suppose to destroy the Earth and the inner planets in the next 4 to 5 Billion years. It may be starting sooner than expected.

Bill, Leesville, USA

People are arrogant to think that we have the power to destroy the earth.

IdriveanSUV, San Diego, ca

"Has anyone else noticed that those most likely to comment negatively, and/or make "witty" comments regarding Al Gore, all seem to originate from America?"

If we use the same method of deduction they are using, then that would mean all Americans decidedly unfunny.

starling, Lancaster,

Before all the Conservatives wacko's use this article to make false conclusions about how this proves that this proves that Global Warming is caused by the sun and is not man made, please re-read the article, it has nothing to do with the sun and it has no relation to warming on the earth. Keep trying..

Andy, Los Angeles, CA

Clearly the introduction of man-made vehicles like the Mars rovers have brought the human-created blight to other planets in the solar system.

What other explanation could there be?

Nate, Berkley, US/Michigan

Golly! Global warming is effecting the entire Solar System! *shuts up* :-D

I wager that in another 100-200 years, all you'd need to explore would be an O2 mask and a heavy jacket. Not mention flowers and candy for all the hot Martian Bikini Babes... :-)

Brian, Hendersonville, NC

Contrary to what the (mostly North-American) commentators are saying here, there is a SCIENTIFIC consensus about global warming on our own planet (see Naomi Oreskes' Science Magazine article on peer-reviewed climate change papers,
3rd December 2004).

This report about Mars adds to our understanding, but surely it does not suddenly mean that carbon pollution in Earth's atmosphere is any less dangerous, does it?

I just thought some of the contributors to this forum who have not yet made up their
minds, might be interested.

Huw Peach, Shrewsbury, UK

Let's send Al Gore there.. he can fix it.. he's our man!

Jim , NYC, USA/NY

Which did Al Gore invent first? Global warming or the Internet?

Dee, Riverside, CA

Has anyone else notice that those most likely to comment negatively, an/or make "witty" comments regarding Al Gore, all seem to originate from Earth?

Jim Garza, Houston, Tx

"the arguement would still seem to be tipped in favour of the 'man-made green house gasses, at least in part, being the cause for global warming' arguement."

Then please explain why the majority of warming was in the 1st half, not the second half of the 20th century. In the 70's the big panic was the coming of the next ice age.

Greg P, Washington , DC

Wow, we americans are soo terrible, we've messed up Mars too...

Taylor, Dallas, TX

No more posts from Greenies here unless you're surfing the internet on a hand-cranked or solar-powered computer!

Larry, San Antonio,

"man made climate change is real and Momma Nature ain't happy!"

So is the Easter Bunny and "Daddy Christmas".

How ironic. Man made warming is "real", so says "Mother Nature", who is "not happy", so says Vincent from Seattle, who apparently is on speaking terms with her...

Hey Seattle, the sun IS real, as we in PHX can attest. I know you rarely get to glipmse it, but unlike "momma Nature", it's real, it's there, and it affects every planet in the SOLAR system.

Dave, Phoenix,

I say we send Al Gore and all his followers to Mars immediately! It is our duty as controllers of the universe to send the very best and brightest we have to save Mars. Cheryl Crow should definetly be apart of his team if for no other reason than to make sure each and every person uses only 1 square of TP per visit to the restroom. Folks we have to act now!! Do you realize the danger and risk we are putting ourselves in if we don't act NOW?

Tom, Libby, MT

Mother nature couldn't care less. She'll do just fine. It's humans who might suffer. So, it's not save the Earth, but save us. The Earth doesn't care.

Green, San Diego,

Yes, we are negative here about Gore because we know him better than you.

Tom Nelton, Minneapolis, MN

Yes. We all know George Bush is evil! If you still don't think so, just ask any of the compassionate and understanding Democratic candidates at their debates. That is something they will all agree on. Someone should do something about the Bush adminstration destroying the universe! There should be a congrssional hearing to determine how the Bush adminstration mangaged to get to Mars! I bet Cheney and Halliburton had something to do with it. I bet there is oil on Mars and they want it! Damned Republicans

Oh why was I born a human! Why could I not have been born a Polar Bear, or better a Rhesus Monkey!

Manny, Tucson, Arizona

Global Warming? No! SOLAR WARMING!! The Sun is getting hotter -- probably a natural process in a star's aging.

John, Longmont, CO

Let's do an experiment to confirm this Global Warming theory once and for all.

Turn off the Sun and see how much Global Warming is caused by human activtity.

Any takers?

Where is Rod Serling when we need him...

Coolman, Alexandira, USA/VA

Clarence from Quebec and Terry from Ohio - thank you for sharing your opinions. You provide a perfect example of how our educational system patently fails to provide even a basic modicum of scientific understanding...or basic logic skills.

For the love of god - if you have no clue what you are writing about....*don't*.

The article doesn't provide much information, but it does specifically refute the idiotic points the two of you made. Apparently, the educational system has also failed both of you in terms of reading comprehension as well.

Dan, Washington, DC

I say let's give Al Gore and his Hollywood buddies a one-way ride to Mar's to deal with the Maritian warming problems. Then he won't need to fly in personal jets and live in a house that emits $20,000 worth of CO2 per year.

RLM, Houston,

Boy, they must have a lot of autos on Mars! The Republicans are at it again. Quick, let;s send Gore, Reid, Clinton and Pelosi t o Mars.

wes bowers, evansville, usa/indiana

Actually, Corry Lee Smith, Huntsville, Alabama USA, Rush Limbaugh did not call Global Warming a religion, but Czech President Vaclav Klaus did in fact make that claim. Considering the fact that he is the President of a former Communist dominated country, I'd say he has some credibility of that which he speaks. So cool down your knee jerk reaction. Rush did say 10 years ago, that the new home of the Communist ideologs would be the anti-globalization and environmental movements and well, he hit that nail on the head. So go kiss a cow and wring your hands, the sky is falling because Al Gore says so.

Michael, Cary, NC

Like a previous poster said, this doesn't mean that humans are not the cause of global warning on our planet. The atmosphere is very different, the distance is different, the inhabitants are different (Mars has no life afawk, Earth is teeming with it). The warming on Mars could be caused by dust storms trapping heat, the warming on Earth could still be caused by greenhouse gases. It's disappointing folks are so quick to say "See, I knew all the junk coming out of the tailpipe and coal plants was fine." Life (and science) is not that easy

Matt, Indianapolis, Indiana, US

Earth - Mars warmup coincidence? Scientists have suggested that the main culprit is the sun getting hotter, not man-made.

Bart, Wilmington, NC

Nick's claim that satellite data shows that there has been little change in solar radiation is completely bogus. A simple google search will reveal that there has been a definate increase over the last 60 years.

Patrick, Atlanta, GA

Someone tell Al Gore to turn off the heating in his Martian holiday home!

Cynosarges, London, United Kingdom

It's about the money pure and simple. For example is a scientist wanted to get a grant to study the "mating habits of polar bears", they wouldn't get the grant, but if they wanted to study the "mating habits of polar bears and the effect of global warming on these habits" they stand a much better chance of getting grant money.

Al Gore and the rest want us to buy a product that cost them noting to produce (carbon credits) and can make big money.

D. Tindall, Elizabethtown,

Does this give Gordon Brown an excuse for a new 'Green' tax ?

Chris Long, Thirsk, England

Man, you gotta love this!

As the scientific evidence that blows this Global Warming fraud out of the water continues to flow, its' a comedy show with never ending material as we get to listen to these wing nuts in their attempt to refute it.

Even better, its' a rip to watch the willing accomplices in the "media" to continue to prop this up with that ever so slight look of doubt which they would never admit to.

Sheryl Crow, your reaction please?

Richard, Kyoto, God Bless America!

Let's see, if a volcano erupts on earth; and the ash causes a cooling effect but the sand blowing around Mars is causing a "heating effect", I think the scientist go to a different school. The sun is running hotter with solar minimum at the present. Remember 35 years ago we were starting a new ice age.

Galen, Colorado Springs,

'Global warming at this point is a religion, so inconvenient facts like warming on Mars - will just be explained or excused away with full support from the far left major media

James H, Washington DC, United States"

Bravo!! We also must remember that when it comes to left-wing liberal hysteria, there is no logic or reason.

Hollie, Atlanta, Georgia

Guess they aren't driving hybrids yet. Let's send Algore there to get them with the program!

Timbotim, Wellesley, MA

We should start using aerosols again in large quantities....maybe it'll help with global cooling.

Hanoi Jane, Libfest, NH

You see!!!!!!? Its OUR fault that mars is warming, since we are closer to the sun, the 'extra warmth' we are responsible for is adding to the heat reaching Mars. I just knew it was our fault. and all the corporations and their coporatey policies are set to cause doom the the entire galaxy.Lookout Neptune and Pluto, you're next. j/k if you couldn't tell.

Brian Hannifin, Savannah, GA

I'm afraid it DOES explain a correlation to rising CO2 levels. If solar radiation has increased, as the Mars data suggest, then atmospheric CO2 levels on earth will naturally increase as well. Water, which covers approximately 70 percent of the earth's surface, will release more dissolved CO2 into the atmosphere. The earth's oceans are, by far, the primary source of atmospheric CO2. The result would be the same as the increased atmospheric dust on Mars.

Darrell, Prattville, Alabama USA

History. The ice age, the medevil warming period (nobody drowned and it was hotter then). The temperature ALWAYS fluctuates on earth, the only constant is change. We have increased 1/2 of a degree in the last couple hundred years and you fools are screaming about the sky falling. By the way....anyone ever heard of solar flares? "Well theres your problem."

Brian, savannah, ga

Ian, Lancaster UK. Thank God there is someone out there who has been able to draw up a reasonable conclusion based on this article!

Has anyone else noticed that those most likely to comment negatively, and/or make "witty" comments regarding Al Gore, all seem to originate from America?

Joe Pearson, York,

It's Al Gore's fault...after all, he invented global warming. ;)

Dave, Austin, TX...ya'll

Hey Ryan,
"The martian climate is very, very different from Earths"..no kidding. Such discernment is amazing.....As far as the sun's "just heating up" being disproven is itself a factual mistatement. Solar flares, "plasma", they do more than just make pretty "Northern Lights"...

SM, Upstate NY,

All the business on mars better get ready to be inundated with more regulations and taxes. The US will have to pay for all the damage their little rovers have done to innocent mars.

Tim, Simi valley, usa, ca

"Since there is no known life on Mars it suggests rapid changes in planetary climates could be natural phenomena."

On the other hand, we shouldn't rule out the possibility that it could be caused by Martian amoebae with chronic flatulence. Shouldn't we try taxing them first?

Kevin, London,

I live in Chicago, so I don't care whether it is caused by my F-150 or solar radiation, I'm a big fan of global warming either way.

Cullen, Chicago, IL, USA

I believe if you look closely enough, you'll find the the Bush administration and ultimately Haliburton and other oil field cronies can be tied directly to the cause of Martian global warming.

John, Mooresville, NC

"Mars has a fever". Gore will probably blame this warming on our little NASA rovers.

Chris, Hampton Falls , NH

I think people (global warming theorists)are missing the point here.
Mars is heating up - whether it is the sun or not is not so important, the fact is planets warm up and cool down WITHOUT man-made intervention.

Secondly it is not ONLY the sun which affects the temperature of planets but also various forms of radiation coming from outside our solar system.

scott, london, uk

We may not no what caused these climate changes on Mars but no doubt Gordon Brown will find a reason to tax us for them !!

Arthur, Bracknell, UK

This news on Mars climate change seems to be an inconvenient truth for the Global Warming church members. The author cannot even bring himelf to state the obvious...the sun might be the cause of both Mars' and Earth's changes. "Different mechanism" indeed.

David, Huntersville, NC

Undoubtably this is the result of mankind's interference in the environment of Mars. Likewise it is undoubtable that it is the result of the Bush adminstration's failed environmental policies.

Jim Varner, River Forest, Illinois, USA

Gee, Libs, should the Martians sign on to Kyoto, too ?

John, New Castle, USA/DE

Oh is that right Terry? Glad you live inland.

martin, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Martians should raise taxes on tobacco. Save the solar system from smokers before it's too late...

Stan Lee, NYC, USA

Obviously they have big SUVs on Mars. Pluto is warming up also. SUVs on Pluto. What a concept.

Steve Hawkins, Boone, USA Iowa

I knew the Mars rover should not have been a 4X4.

tony, birmingham, uk

No, it's different than on earth. Didn't you all read that? We humans are the scourge of the universe and of planet earth. No way a natural occurring event could cause changes in our climate. Of course, the past climate changes on earth caused naturally have nothing to do with today either. When will people wake up to the fact that global warming alarmism is nothing more than a political ploy to give government and certain special interests more control of our lives?

James, Huntsville, AL, USA

I think the problem is obvious, the United States is the most evil force in the universe and is now causing Global Warming on Mars! Where will they stop?!?!? Why is George Bush so mean?!?!??

Bill Gadsby, Duluth, MN

George Bush!

Michael, Maryland, USA

When politicians and grant-writing scientists have an opportunity to capitalize on a left-wing media-spawned frenzy, LOOK OUT FOR YOUR WALLET! As well as your freedom of movement and pursuit of happiness.
These are the guys who will put all small business OUT of business, so that their view of the horizon will not be obstructed with those obnoxious wind farm turbines off Cape Cod and Nantucket.
Never forget GREENLAND!

phil, Portland, Maine

Global Warming activists have always left the SUN out of their equations. When charting the high temperatures over the years CO2 doesn't graph well with the highs but Sun activitiy always does.

Bob ford, Roanoke, Virginia

Why is it that everything else seems to be blamed for Global warming on BOTH mars and earth, yet, no one ever blames the sun for warmer conditions?

This is just perplexing being that the Sun is this solar systems source of warmth.

Just a thought, if it seems to be getting warmer, shouldn't we check to see if the sun is hotter or putting out more energy?

Kyle, Hong Kong, China

There is no hot air coming from Al Gore's mouth on Mars. Who are we going to blame for Gobal Warming on Mars? President Bush I guess.

Bruce, Atlanta, GA

Is Al Gore going to take his private jet and go combate global warming on mars?

Anthony Granitto, Palmer, MA

"When a surface darkens it absorbs more heat"........ Does this mean an additional (X) plus trillion million miles of asphalt roads in Europe, North America, China, Indonesia, and India as well as of those greenie solar panels may actually affect wind patterns, vertical circulation and the natural evaporation processes ??? Why that is simply amazing...
What with all of the massive CMEs and the Sun's abnormal behavior of late I am sure glad we haven't had any volcanic eruptions since the beginning of Al Gore's scientifically derived hockey stick timeline (or should I have used contrived and slick)

George A Heller, Williamsburg, Virginia USA

This only proves that man is spewing so much carbon into the sky that it is leaking into space and being pulled in by Mar's gravity. Man is the cause of both Earths and Mars global warming. We need to start RIGHT NOW shutting off every car, light, and Heat /Air system (unless you are a movie star or Al Gore, then you should travel by jet and large, unmarked SUVs to spread the word and make money from doing so).

Keith, Atlanta, USA

It explains that the terrain on Mars is why it is different. The cause of the warming is the same cause it has always been there as it has been on Earth. Solar activity

Charles, Atlanta, Ga

The source of heat in our solar system is the sun. Any study of warming of the planets should take into account the varying heat of the sun first and then attempt to figure in other factors. I know that God put this all in motion and it is still under his control. People are wrong to attempt to place man in the place of God by pretending that man can control the climate. Man can cause things to change somewhat, but God is still in control.

Bill Weber, Mt. Vernon, USA / Missouri

"Leftist orthodoxy", my @ss. Correlation is not causation, folks. Just because Mars and Earth warmed in "similar" ways (what exactly does "similar" mean, anyway? what's the correlation coefficient of the mystery variables that are being compared there??), this no way proves that the increases were caused by the same thing. This article reports a scientific finding about Mars. It gives proof of exactly *nothing* about global warming on Earth.

Graham, Washington, DC

Perhaps it was the three cars (rovers) the U.S. landed on Mars
since the seventies... oh, nope...can't be THAT....they're eco-friendly electric buggies :-P

Tim Quick, san marcos, CA, USA

wow, the people that are in denial really scare me.
even worse you are destroying your childrens future.
man made climate change is real and Momma Nature ain't happy!

vincent rhodes, seattle, wA

Since the sun is the source of virtually all energy in our solar system, it stands to reason that the sun is responsible for the gradual warming of the planets. What interesting is that Mars, which is farther away from the sun is nonetheless quite sensitive to changes in solar radiation.

rick, Cape Canaveral, USA FL

Mars has neither cow flatulance nor automobile pollution. . . gee, I wonder what else might be going on, scientifically, of course.

Dan Denny, Ada, USA/OK

I'm sure the NASA researchers would be fascinated to hear your informed opinion about the mechanism at work in Martian temperature variations over the past 30 years. The fact that Mars happens to be heating up at the same time as Earth does not mean that the same mechanism is driving both scenarios. The Martian climate is very, very different from Earth's. At any rate, simplistic theories like "the sun is just heating up" have long since been empirically disproven.

Ryan, Rochester, NY, USA

Must be all those Martian SUV's and cow farts.

Janet, Cottonwood, CA, USA

Have no fear. Al Gore is here!

GT, Wilson, North Carolina

Someone suggesting that changes in earth's climate could be caused by *gasp* natural causes? Infidel!!

Eric, Pitsburgh, PA

This article will clearly be used by climate change sceptics to discredit the current IPCC consensus and support their continued scepticism. The fact is Mars' orbital eccentricity, period and atmospheric conditions make comparisons with Earth very difficult.

However, greenhouse gas physics, which has been accepted for well over 100 years, shows that adding CO2 to the atmosphere at the rate we have been doing for 250 years, (Up 30+% and increasing, well beyond natural cycles in the past 600K years) , must trap more heat than if it weren't there. The Sun is clearly contributing too (and the IPCC makes an assessment of its contribution) but CO2 is the major contributor that we can control.

Rene Descartes, UK,

It must be fault of Geroge W. Bush!!!!

He gets the blame for everything else!

Bob, Merrimack, NH

Just because the sun is heating up Mars doesn't mean it's also heating up the Earth. Geez, I mean, after all it's not like the Earth is CLOSER to the sun than Mars is... oh wait...

SJ, NY, NY

Wait! Maybe the warming IS man-made. The article states Mars has been warming since the 1970s...right when NASA sent Viking to land on Mars. And now we have 2 more off-road vehicles there...

Tim, Columbus, OH,

Since the sun is common to both planets and is known to be getting hotter, I'd say that the above statement is not only accurate but politically incorrect as well. Of course to the tree huggers, it won't matter.

Bill, McDonough, Ga.

I guess the libs will figure out a way to blame President Bush for this one too! It's funny, he is supposed to be so stupid, but he can change the climate on earth all by himself!

Phil, Marietta, GA

we should ban green house gases on mars before it gets worse

Dave Johnson, San Diego , California

"Global warming is a liberal's religion" is a stupid meme being spread by US hard-right radio screamer Rush Limbaugh and others, to disguise the irrationality of their almost Soviet-like insistence that science conform to political directives.

Solar variability is NOT news. The scientific goals are to determine what other factors are at work concerning global warming, and to what degree. The political goals are to cherrypick data that fit preconceived notions. Yeah, THAT'LL work.

"Nature cannot be fooled." -R. P. Feynman

Corry Lee Smith, Huntsville, Alabama USA

Hey! Al Gore!! Is this truth a little inconvenient????

g johnson, Sarasota, USA

Unacceptable! I demand that Martians immediately reduce their CO2 emissions by 90%.

Kyda Sylvester, Auburn, California

More evidence that shows that even science, is subservient to whatever is trendy to believe.

Al, New York, New York

Oh great. Now everyone will be saying that global warming caused by man is a myth even though the scientists are saying that the warming on the two planets happened for different reasons. Clearly Earth is not being warmed by the same phenomenon, the article reports as much. The sun can't be causing identical warming on both planets because Mars and Earth have completely different atmospheres, sizes, and distances from the sun. Correlation does not mean shared causation. Too bad so many people will take it that way.

Nate, Portsmouth, NH, USA

Obviously humans are responsible for Martian global warming! After all, it didn't start until after we landed probes there!

I find it convenient that Martian warming and Earth warming are nearly equal in magnitude but strangely have different causes...hmmm.

Brian, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The Martians should have invested in Algore's carbon credits before it was too late . . .

Mike, Springboro, OH,

Those darn Martians and their SUVs will cause global warming just like on Earth!

Nathan, Minocqua, Onieda/WI

It's obvious to me that it's not the Sun, but those gas-guzzling SUVs which are causing Mars to overheat. I propose that we immediately dispatch Al Gore to Mars so as to alert it's populance of the dangers of greenhouse gases.

Jerome Papania, Phoenix, Arizona USA

Of course climate change is natural and the fact that our shared sun is warming Mars as well as Earth (in a similar amount since the 1970's) should not be any surprise. The humorous thing is watching the climate alarmists scramble to try to explain why a warmer Mars does not explain a warmer Earth. As we all know, or should know, giant dust storms would tend to block radiation not enhance it just as we experience after a volcanic eruption here on Earth.

W. Marshall, Cape Cod, MA USA

Make the martian cows stop all that farting! Use less TP and take the bus. It's all so simple a Martian could do it!

CIVILNOMORE, Phoenix, Arizona(we know hot)

The Man Made Global Warming worshipers do not care about possible alternative reasonings for Global Warming. Despite thousands of actual scientists (note: not politicians) who disagree with their theory they still believe, or at least pretend to believe, that there is overwhelming evidence to support their claim. In reality most actual historical and scientific data supports the claim that it is due to natural inconsistencies in the strength of the sun.

Information that counterbalances the Man Made Global Warming theory do not amount to anything to those who refuse to aknowledge that they are or might be wrong.

Chris, Washington, DC

You mean to tell me the sun is causing all of this! Lori, you owe me big time for all those carbon points I purchased from Al Gore!

Bobby Gray, Augusta, Ga.

One report, based on little evidence, does not debunk anything concerning global warming on Earth.

Yes, the sun could be responsible for some but humans and greenhouse gases could be responsible too.

Bill, London, OH

It is more htan obvious tha there are SUVs on Mars. The issue is settled and anyone who speaks of other possibilities
is s fool or worse. I would like a grant from the UN to obtain take pictures of the Martian polluting SUVs

George Galletti, Morris Plains, USA/NJ

No doubt caused by unnecessary human interaction with the pristine Martian atmosphere.

Mason W., San Diego, CA

Saturn is warming as well...

Trey, San Diego, CA

"Since there is no known life on Mars"

Did the author realy think is was necessary to clarify this.

Ian, London,

Al Gore in his book and movie, An Inconvenient Truth", shows a graph of temperature and CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. He uses it to conclude the CO2 caused an increase in temperature. Anybody who took high school chemistry knows that a cooler liquid can absorb more gas than a warmer liquid. So when the surface of the earth and the atmosphere get warmer, the liquids in it have to give up their dissolved CO2 to the atmosphere causing a rise in the CO2 content. So the oceans, lakes, rivers and clouds give up their dissolved CO2 to the atmosphere. The truth of the graph is that a warmer earth and atmosphere results in more CO2 in the atmosphere - which is the exact opposite conclusion to what Al Gore and others would have you believe. It is very obvious to anyone with half a brain that the sun is the source of this extra heat causing global warming.

Malcolm, Longueil, QUEBEC

"Lori Fenton, believes variations in radiation and temperature across the surface of the Red Planet are generating strong winds.

In a paper published in the journal Nature, she suggests that such winds can stir up giant dust storms, trapping heat and raising the planet’s temperature."

These people must not remember there reasoning for Global Cooling in the 70's. They said that farming was creating too much dust in the atmosphere, which stoped the sun from heating the earth.

Which is it? Why isn't the obvious ever considered?

Earth is warming, Mars is warming, but these nitwits refuse to consider the Sun has anything to do with it.

Simply amazing.

Okosongoro, Tyler, Texas

Obviously man's Global Warming is so far out of control it's affecting other planets too! We're all doomed!

Jason, Southern, California

Riiiiggght. You've thought about this science problem for two whole minutes, and it all came clear. Those silly scientists, worrying about dust cycles and orbital tilt and the fact that Mars has an elliptical orbit so summer/tilted-toward-the-sun season can be in, or out, of synch with summer-nearer-the-sun season. What do they know?

Doug Hensley, College Station, Texas

Hey, let's send Ali-Gore, along with his entire entourage - SUVs and all, to Mars to check this (impossible natural warming by radiation from the Sun) out!!!
James

James, Selma, Alabama

Obviously the Martians rampant industrialization and failure to use expensive hybrids is the cause of this inconveniant truth.

Steve, Boston, MA

Still doesn't explain the correlation between global warming and rising CO2 levels; needs more research, before assuming global warming is a product of solar cycles.

H.Grattan, Johannesburg, South Africa

If NASA hadn't landed an SUV on Mars, none of this would have happened.

Evan, Franklin, TN

But wait! It's all the SUVs that the conservatives are driving on earth that is causing the climate cahnge on Mars. We all need to buy hybrids and become liberal socialists or the Earth AND Mars are RUINED! Just ask the goracle.

Big Daddy, Berkeley, CA

Well, I'll be darned! I think Mars needs the Goreacle to fly there in a rocket powered Prius and lecture the Martians about "planet warming". Sheryl Crow can supply the tissue paper because there won't be a dry green eye around. They'll be doubled over laughing just like any human being with half a clue bag strapped on! Sorry, only one square per wipe!

PETE, NAVARRE, USA/FL

I think the hot air spewed from the mouths of Al Gore and Co. has finally made its way over to Mars.

Claudia, Atlanta, USA

*rolls eyes*

Yes, the sun can cause global warming. If you lot had a bit of a clue, you'd know that it did so thousands of years ago on Earth too.

And now, the human race can accellerate it.

Things are not as simple as you want them to be.

I hope your precious SUV floats.

starling, Lancaster,

Ned,

why doesn't it? Logic dictates that the simplest reason is often the right answer. Is is more logical to assume that two total different process are operating on two totally different planets causing the same result or that one process that effects both systems is causing the same result on two totally different planets? which sentence is more logical? Is is more logical to assume that man with all his industry and destructive weapons can change entire worlds or that a star that produces more energy in a day than man has produced in his history could have more of a direct effect on an entire planet?

Bill, Mercer, PA

Ian,

What causes wind? Why changes in temperture. When different surfaces are heated differently the movement of energy from a high excited state to a low state of energy occurs. Thus Mars winds are being caused by a change in heating of Mars. You can not get the effect to be the cause. The wind does not cause an increase in temperture. The increase in temperture causes the wind. This is meterology 101. Both Mars and Earth are experiencing global warming. Both are closed systems with no interaction between the two. If the same process is observed in two seperate closed system this means that there is some external cause acting on both systems to get the result. The only external factor effecting both systems is the Sun. Therefore the Sun is causing Global warming on both planets. The chances of two seperate systems experiencing the same reactions to two totally different causes while plausible is so small that you would have more of a chance becoming King of England

Bill, Mercer, PA

This has to be George Bush's fault. He didn't even attend the Interplanetary Environmental protection Conference.

jethro, princeton, nj

I don't get this part:

"When a surface darkens it absorbs more heat, eventually radiating that heat back to warm the thin Martian atmosphere: lighter surfaces have the opposite effect."

How can lighter surfaces have the "opposite" effect? Isn't it the SAME effect (radiating /reflecting heat back to warm the atmosphere), only quicker? And the fact that a dark surface absorbs more heat over time, doesn't necessarily translate to more heat being radiated from it, because some of that energy is inevitably lost in the transfer. Therefore it seems to me as if lighter surfaces would actually contribute to atmospheric warming at a greater rate than would darker surfaces. If so, then Lori Fenton's theory is seriously flawed.

I don't know... I've been out in the blazing hot sun all day, but it seems to me that some of these "human-effect" theorists will say just about anything to keep their theories (and their funding) alive.

I.M. Onthephone, Fort Morgan, Colorado

I consider this to be irrefutable proof of the existence of extraterrestrial life. Darn those Martians and their SUVs!

Kevin, Tyler, Texas

Dust in the atmosphere has the opposite affect. Dust reflects light which COOLS the planet. It is theorized the reason for the long winter that sunk Napolean, while invading Russia, was caused a year earlier by the explosion of Krakatoa (sp?). The explosion (eruption) was so massive the resulting particulates created a dust layer in the atmosphere. This dust layer reflected sun light that caused a winter colder and longer than normal.
Mark, San Diego CA

Mark, san diego, USA/ CA

Well what do you know? It's the sun after all. Now how will Dr. James Hansen explain this? He invented "forcing" in violation of the long-standing principles of Le Chatlier, on who much modern chemistry is based. He claims man-made carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere 500 years (sometimes only 400 depending on the audience), but the net gain is a fraction of what it would be if he were right. He also claims that the Bush administration has muzzled him, but he managed to be interviewed by 1400 journalists and TV people in the last year. That's seven a day for every working day! Gee, when did he do something for his job? He is not in the NASA PR department.

This is getting interesting....

Adrian Vance

Adrian Vance, Lakeport, CA , USA, California

Still doesn't explain the correlation between global warming and rising CO2 levels; needs more research, before assuming global warming is a product of solar cycles.]

H.Grattan, Johannesburg, South Africa

It has to be those two pesky Martian Rovers NASA sent over there. We need a government regulation that all Martian Rovers be Hybrids in the future!

Mick, Tokyo, Japan

Who cares?

gordon gray, Auckland, nz

It caused by our suns binary companion that has a 2500 orbital period of a long narrow ellipse.

It last came in the period of nekabnezzar (Isiah 38). It probably took 50 years to complete the perigee (closest to the sun and it is line of sight close to the sun visible and dusk I believe. I notice the air gets hot about an hour before sunrise so that it probably what it is. (Unless it a fleet of alien ships on their capture burn slowing from 10,000 c and we are in the beam of their microwave photon rockets).

Chris, London, UK

Oh oh. Them Marians best get themselves a global carbon tax quick! Thats what they get for not signing Kyoto.

Dave, Phoenix, AZ

Well obviously it's our Global Warming radiating out to other planets!!! I'm suprised Al Gore didn't include that in his movie.

Stacie, Grand Blanc,

Satellites have shown that there is little to no change in radiation output from the sun over the last 30 years. The sun is not causing the warming on either planet.

Nick, Arlington, VA

quick quick, we must change more lightbulbs and say more Hail Marys

John Ledbury, Kings Lynn, England

Since, according to Dr. Al Gore, global warming is caused by humans, we must be affecting the temperatures on another planet. I'm not smart enough to figure out how we are doing that, but I'm sure Dr. Gore has a logical explanation.

Richard, Indianapolis, Ind

Martian SUVs and cattle induced methane!

dave, Newcastle Upon Tyne,

No, that is not obvious, because Mars is further from the sun than the Earth, and the intensity of sunlight falls off rapidly (1/r^2) with distance.

Kris, Canada,

My first thought was, gee those martians need to stop using aerosol cans and check their gas emissions.

carolyn, howe, texas

Only an idiot would conclude that the Sun is not involved in this phenomenon. The article stated that the change is different from earth because of dust and wind and... gimmee a break!. What caused all that to happen - an increase in Solar radiation. Did Mars move closer to the Sun - No. We can only conclude that the radiation of the Sun has changed and that such changes are part of the normal warming and cooling cycles of the Sun - and of the planets who bask in its light.

Bob Barney, Wilmore, Kentucky

Is there a microbic lifeform presenting the martian version of "An Inconvenient Truth" there? How many carbon credits will need to be purchased to offset the carbon emissions used in transporting all the left-wingers to viewings on Mars?

David , Roseville, CA,

Obviously, SUV-created CO2 emissions have escaped the Earth's atmosphere through a hole in the ozone layer, and have poisoned the once-verdant valleys of Mars.

Steve, Dallas, USA

Yes, lets take the evidance of a differant planet with completly differant environmental characteristics as proof that disputes several thousand scientists work.

Phew that's lucky now i can keep my 6 litre car and ignore that pesty pollution problem, thanks Sun.

Leon, Brisbane, Australia

Obviously man-made, caused by all those electric vehicles roaming from space agencies. Global Warming is a Solar phenominon that cannot be ignored by the carbon zealots.

David Thijm, Stourbridge, UK

No, Terry. I is obvious that the little green Matian men are warming that plant by CO2 emissions from coal burning power plants, cow flatulence, and other man-made sources. What else could it be? Certainly not solar radiation. We need to export carbon offsets to Mars! Mr. Gore ... where are you when Mars needs you!! Help!!

Chuck , Amarillo, Amarillo, Texas USA

these new fact will have NO effect on the beliefs of the extremist. they are invested in a religion. this is about the evils of capitalism. for them, capitalism must be destroyed. the facts of "global warming" and man's marginal role in it are no longer of any importance.
the "scientific consciences" is too important for them to surrender. just as the "theological consciences" of accepting Christ for salvation is to important for Christians to surrender. they are the same.
this will not end well for anyone.

will day, naples , fl

Interesting. All comments here are from "deniers", thus proving to me that the "climate change caused by man" promoters read only things that agree with their "religious" beliefs.

paul, vancouver,

Global Warming is caused by Man is a Fact!
Global Warming is on Mars is a FACT!
Therefore, there are people on Mars! Fact.

Mark, Spanish Fork, Utah

I'll say this to you both. This proves nothing. Leave it up to a biased uninformed article to try to disprove Global Warming caused by man.

Mars...is...a...different...planet.

It shares similarities, but it has huge differences. Orbits, days, weeks, years, temperature, etc.

Analogy: Comparing an apple to an orange is just plain simplistic and idiotic. While they are both fruits, they are different fruits. This goes with comparing Earth to Mars. They are both planets, but they are different planets.

Richard, SLC, Utah

I wonder if variations in output of that enormous yellow light in the sky might have something to do with global warming? Nah, it's gotta be cow farts and cars...

scott, tulsa, USA

Clearly, solar winds from the sun are blowing man made gases on Earth to Mars. There can be no other explanation.

Kurt Olney, Vista, USA California

Can I still drive my Prius on Mars?

Dan, NY,NY, USA

More prove the Global Warming is not human made but simply related to the variations in cosmic radiation that Earth and Mars receive. Variations come from the suns place in the galaxy (more or less supernova's nearby), and from the strength of the suns magnetic shield that protects us from that radiation. More radiation getting through means colder weather , less warmer.

Wim, Amsterdam,

It is possible that the warming trend is entirely solar. However, that's not what careful reading of the article reveals. Mars, as well as Earth, has particles trapping solar radiation. That's what's the same. What's different is that we have water to prevent "giant dust storms." The heat-trapping particles on Earth are largely man-made.

Even assuming that global warming is in no way even partly our fault, it's hardly the worst consequence of not regulating emissions closely. Try birth defects, acquired sterility, increased cancer rates, and brain damage. Bringing down pollution of , to use a cliched term, our little spaceship is an end in itself, isn't it?

The source of variation is the dust. Didn't you read the article? Here, try this elementary school science experiment: put a sheet of black paper on a patch of snow in the sun. Which melts more, the snow under the paper, or the snow directly exposed to the sun?

Conor, Central Colorado,

I'd just like to remind my fellow commentators on this article that correlation does not equal causation. Scientists have long considered the possibility that variations in the sun's energy output are responsible for the temperature increases observed on Earth over the last century, and have not been able to pin down any conclusive evidence that that is the case.

Reese Allen, Seattle, Washington

The subtle explanantion - it's not global warming on Mars but wind that is doing it. Well, warmer temparatures and higher temperature gradients between the poles and the equator on Mars cause higher winds (just as occurs on earth) so it IS NATURAL global warming caused by the sun that is occurring on Mars!!!!
Steve, Astoria, OR

Steve, Astoria, OR

It's obvious that the people on Mars have been using fossil fuels with too much wanton abandon. SUVs must be popular there, what with all that sandy, rocky terrain. Maybe "the scientists" will eventually be able to explain where Mars' fossil fuels came from, when they get time.

~;-]

Citizen, Telluride, CO

It is now known that the little green men on mars are not only destroying their planet but ours also.

michael henson, london, uk

And what was the population of Mars again?

Paul, Melbourne, Australia

Not since the middle ages have academia been so wrong. Back then people observed that trees moved when the wind blew. From this they thought that the tree's movement caused the wind. They also observed that the Sun rose and set everyday and thought that the sun revolved around the earth. In 2007 I thought this kind of thinking was gone from the human mind. But the global warming debate shows that those early humans did indeed reproduce. We have two planets experiencing warming. The two planets have no connection to each other except the Sun. As an intelligent human I would think that therefore the sun is the cause of the warming on both planets. Yet for the "man is evil" crowd this is not clear enough. They have to make two completely different theories that cause global warming on two different planets. The Sun is in an active phase. It gets warmer on Earth and Mars end of debate. Warmup some Sodapop and see if the CO2 released increases like our oceans are doing today.

Bill, Mercer, PA

It's only a matter of time before the looney lefties blame Mars' warming on nicely sized SUV's.

Paul Ochoa, Richland Hills, Texas

Solar output has been monitored for decades both by ground instruments and more recently by satellites. In fact, the record of solar output shows a slight decline in ouput over the last 2 decades or so. As a result it is obviously <NOT> the sun that is causing warming on either the earth or mars.

One needs to be cautious of anyone who claims the sun is driving the observed climate change either on earth or mars.

Often they are simply ignorant of the facts, but in some instances they are employed by the carbon industries and have a political agenda to promote.

Want the facts on solar output. Visit a NASA website.

Avoid listening to quacks, hacks and carbon industry shills.

Scott Nudds, hamilton, ontario

o come on, how could you even compare mars to earth?

Georgie Shrub, white castle, DC

Guess them martians just ain't carbon neutral!

Larry Killen, Sugar Hill, Ga, USA

oh no the CO2 from us humans has reached Mars!!! now we can feel guilty for killing two planets!!!! oh noooooooooo

eddie haskell, Purdue, Iowa

Our golbal warming, our SUVs and polution must be affecting the Martian atmosphere because Algore cannot be wrong; liberalism cannot be wrong...can it?!?

Jebster, NorCal, USA

The Martians have to stop behaving like earthlings. Ler's send Stephen Hawking to save the day, If not him, then Mighty Mouse.

Chester A Riley, Bialystok, Poland

It's a pity "scientific correctness" (much worse than the political kind) is making honest observation and reporting of data a virtual crime. Few scientists are secure enough in their positions to rock the global (man-made) warming hysteria boat.

I had thought mosts scientists objective, but have recently had to re-think that position. Regardless of the basis for irrational positions, they are irrational nonetheless, and will prove false in the long-run. I can only hope the real facts (whatever they may be) will be clear enough to cut through the hype.

D Williams, Plano, Texas

Global Warming ....not so global after all. It'll be hard to tax galactic warming but they'll come up with something I'm sure.

Gavin, Lompoc, Ca

Quick better send Gore to educate the Martians.

Ken, Brisbane, Australia

Oh no... the emperor has no clothes.
Now let's see if we can find an answer that will empower the United Nations with a new tax.... a solar warming tax maybe? Sure. All we need now is for the Supreme Court to declare solar radiation a pollutant ( any substance, as certain chemicals or waste products, that renders the air, soil, water, or other natural resource harmful or unsuitable for a specific purpose) and give the Feds the power to police (code word for TAX) it.
And AL Gore was wondering if he would be a one-hit wonder in movieland.

Billy Reynolds, Cowboy, Texas, USA

This story has bad timing for all the global warming proponents. In fact, you might even say it's an "inconvenient truth."

shane, Hollywood, USA/Ca

No question on my mind that the sun has caused and is now causing the current warming .... and future cooling.

The best response, despite my Phd, is Duh!

Dr. Robert Weed, Burr Ridge, IL

You people don't get it. The martians need a renewable form of energy. We should raise taxes on thier fossil fuels to help them.

matt, woodbridge, usa

Common sense dictates that the SUN is primarily responsible for the warming of the planet, and not my SUV, and now Mars is experiencing warming too. Bet the MSM won't cover this one...
Remember : Common sense is not that common!

Emma, Reading, Pa

I thought the next line would be that the EU is blaming the United States and George Bush for the temperature rise. Every problem on Earth seems to be America's doing why not the solar system. too.

Bob Stratton, Atlanta, Ga

Will Al Gore and the leftists even pay attention to this data? Let's quit wasting time and money on fighting carbon dioxide and use that money for something else, maybe give it all to me for example.

John, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Damn that Geoge Bush and his oil Baron buddies! They've even raised CO2 levels on Mars. When will somebody stop them from destroying the solar system?

Eric, Tucson, Az

Quick! Put Al Gore on a rocket ship and send him there so he can save the red planet.

Larry A. Brown, Hondo, Texas

Now all we have to do is figure out how to blame this on George Bush!

Sophia Weisheit, Black Lick, Pa

Maybe we should contact the Martian government and ask them to sitch to electric cars????

Ktuohey, NYC, NY

Both planets are warming up, but this in no way says that a warming planet is therefore a good thing. Nor does it somehow magically remove the fact we are increasing CO2 content in the atmosphere, which should increase temperatures.

Russell, Launceston, Australia

Environmentalists will, no doubt, find a reason to dismiss 'coincidence', as Lori Fenton just did. Of course, it's not the same, they'll pronounce . . . even though there is absolutely no evidence there to reach this conclusion.

Maybe they'll blame Bush. After the hurricanes of 2004 hit Florida, I remember seeing several billboards blaming Bush for the hurricanes. Will it ever cease?

Global warming may be real, but there is no evidence AT ALL that should lead us to believe that it's because of human consumption or anything else we can control.

Kelly, nashville, TN, USA

I want to wait and get Gore's view on this. "Global Warming", the ultimate PC topic! What bologna!

Jim, holland, mi

Since there is no known life on Mars it suggests rapid changes in planetary climates could be natural phenomena.

I'm sure the author of this line had a chuckle, wondering if the disciples of global warming actually "got it".

My theory is that there are actual Martians that are driving subterranean SUVs that are causing the problem.

Steve Fraser, Motown, MI

Looks like those little green men need to park their SUV's

Frank, Chicago, IL USA

Ssshhh! Some people have books to sell, movies to sell, government grants to get and political agendas to push. No man made global warming, no money or power for them.

William, Pennsylvania,

We are in a solar system solar system I have been told. Maybe the solar part of the system might hold some clues. Just a thought.

Chris, Puget Sound, WA

Nothing of the kind is "pretty clear." We don't have near enough information, yet, to make a perfectly clear pronouncement one way or the other. (Some posters here sound just as irrational as they claim the "global warming Chicken Littles" to be.)

However, one doesn't have to be a genius on planet Earth to recognize that: if a species continues to pump huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere at the same time that this same species is obliterating rainforest vegetation that could help control said CO2 there will likely be hell to pay someday...maybe sooner rather than later.

Instead of sticking our fingers in our ears and pretending that there is no tomorrow, let's all figure out an alternative to the primitive techonolgies that require us to keep *burning* things and clear-cutting the land to make room for more cows (and their associated greenhouse gases). Complacency and apathy are not viable, long-term options.

CL, Washington, DC

Now there is an Inconvenient Truth if i ever saw one. Whatever will happen to the new religion if this news becomes widely publicized?

Mars is the perfect place for Al Gore,Prince Charles and Sheryl Crow to continue their very important work.

Norman, Montreal, Canada

Actually the article isn't clear about that at all. It indicates that the temperature causes the dust and then says the dust causes the temperature. I agree that it is obvious that the sun is the cause. That's what ended the ice ages here on Earth and that's what will bring them back some day.

Chad, Mesa, AZ

This temp rise is not limited to Earth and Mars. This appears to be a solar system wide temp increase.

http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~kaisler/articles/event_horizon/heating.html

David, Du Quoin, USA / IL

Man-made global warming is politics, not science.

Douglas , Studio City, CA

It says directly in the article that "the mechanism at work on Mars appears to be different from that on Earth."

People need to stop pretend that every little thing is an excuse to continue ignoring the problem of global warming.

Dave, New York, USA

NASA is an acronym, not a name. Every letter should be capitalized. Come on now, I'm an engineer, not a journalist and I know this...

Josh, palm springs, ca

The evidence couldn't be clearer... we have done so much to pollute the Earth that CO2 levels and temperatures are now rising all over the solar system. If we don't get a handle on this soon, not only will Earth and Mars become barren wastelands, but we might even contribute to global warming on the moons of Jupiter, and one shudders to think of the effects we might have on poor tiny Pluto.

Mac, California, USA

no way, because a consensus of scientists and scholars say the earth is flat and the center of the universe and to think other wise should and would make you a sinner and jail ,public humiliation on a grand scale [media] and fines [impoverishment] for unbeeelievers. Let socialism through the wallet begin Amen.

mark one, syr. , n.y.

But that will only fund research for astronomers, not the average poor university professor. We have to have a good reason to fund starving university post hole diggers (phds), or they will all go on welfare. Please support global warming theories, and stop living.

David, Winchester, VA

I'm sure the Bush White House is to blame!

cev, Indy, USA

Why is it so difficult for some to accept that the sun has the single largest ability to change our climate? Variations in the sun's out put have impacted Mars and Earth, both increasing and decreasing the temperature. If we could find a temperature record of Mars it would certainly match our Earth's record.

Murray, Ft. Lauderdale,

Mars is warming? Well it must obviously be the human's fault, because who knew those probes were so devastating to the climate?

These almrmists crack me up. The earth is warming, but I always had a feeling it had something to do with the giant fusion reactor sitting 8 light-minutes from earth.

Jesse, Rustburg, VA, USA

They call a 0.5 degree change a "rapid change"......I call that a negligible change...a half a degree is nothing...anyone who would believe a half degree rise in temperature is going to melt earth's polar caps, are crazy

andy, thousand oaks, ca

The other explanation is that greedy capitalists are already living on Mars and polluting just for the fun of it. Maybe that's why Martians are green - the collor of U.S Dollars.

Maybe Hillary Clinton will send her Ambassador at Large, Bill, there to negotiate for carbon credits.

Babwa, Atlanta, USA/GA

NASA also reported a few years ago that the temperature of Pluto was incteasing even as it moves farther from the sun. Maybe Al Gore can explain that to us all.

Kelly, Clarkston, WA

man is responsable for global warming. You know the fleas on earth.

jon, wichita falls, texas

Oh my goodness!!!! This is terrible news. I guess we vicious humans have been exhaling too much CO2 and driving our cars too much. The dirty, human pollution has found its way to Mars. We'd better send Al Gore up there right away to fix it up!

Wait!!! There aren't any humans up there on Mars; or oil companies; or coal mines. There aren't even any cows! But still the Martian ice caps are melting? Oh, no! Could this be a naturally occurring meteorological event? Impossible!! Maybe we should send AlGore up there anyway to investigate this for the good of all creatures. He can signal us back via his internet. Oh, wow; I feel better already.

Fred Smith, North Brunswick, New Jersey

What in the world will politicians do if the American people
wise up and they can't play the Global warming card anymore ??

We're warming all right but they are lying about why. It's happened before in the world’s history and it's happening again, a natural
thing and Mars warming adds credibility to that fact.

Jackie fernandez, Fort Worth, TX

Socialists will have to find another Trojan horse to try and force socialism on us now I bet they will be trying to bury this story now They have so much to lose, especially the billions of dollars of public funds being robbed from tax payers pay checks to fund their myth. Lazy liberals want make work they want nothing to do with productivity or real labor.......

indiana, green bay, wi

This proves that there is an advanced civilization on Mars that NASA knows about but is covering up.

Ron, Sville, NJ USA

The above lack of logic is astonishing and frightening. It clearly does not follow from what is happening on Mars that the sun is the cause of Earth's global warming.

Ned Potter, Harrisburg, VA

Global warming at this point is a religion, so inconvenient facts like warming on Mars - will just be explained or excused away with full support from the far left major media

James H, Washington DC, United States

This proves that the Martians are causing global warming. We should send algore there to help them before it is too late!

Lori, Alexandria, MN

Not one of the Global Warming Nazis will respond to this. It wasn't put forward by a hollywood liberal, therefore it can;t be true.

Dave, Leesburg, USA/Virginia

I send this article to my friends of whom have fallen into the global warming religion, with the warning that they may want to CONTINUE to avert their eyes from stories like these that have contradicted their belief system from the beginning.
This smacks in the face of Kyoto and may help destroy the worldwide tax on individual behavior favored by the stealth socialists/communists around th the world.

William , Birmingham, Alabama

this just adds to the fact that the warming is being caused by the sun,s increased activity, effecting both planets.

bill haleen, bonita, ca

Why don't the environmentalist coordinate sun spots, solar winds, etc. with the warming of the planets. The "scientists" assume that life is the determinig factor in climate change. Yeah, the warming on Earth is different than the warming Mars. It's the sun stupid.

Rob Haywood, Columbus, OH, USA

Lori Fenton's dust theory is a 21st century version of Ptolemy's epicycles. Ptolemy was trying to save the earth-centered universe from the onslaught of contrary astronomical data. Fenton (like all her goose-stepping peers), is struggling valiantly to save the manbearpig theory of global warming from the onslaught of contrary astronomical data. Like epicycles, Fenton's dust theory will eventually bite the dust. Too bad it won't be sooner rather than later.

George Gamow, New York, NY

Everyone forgets we introduced SUV's into the martian environment. No doubt this is the cause of warming.

Neal Atkins, Austin, Texas

Since not even ex-vice presidents can blame mankind for Mar’s global warming, it must the increased winds that are heating the red planet, not a hotter sun causing both the increased winds and a warmer planet. Sure, just as bad driving causes intoxication, not the robust drinking of alcoholic beverages. It's wonderful to have politically-correct cause and effect.

John Broskie, Elk Grove, California USA

How awesome! Humans of Earth have been able to pollute another planet with their "universal warming." This must be true since Earth's global warming is in sync with Mars, especially the "hot air about global warming." LOL

This data will not change the "Chicken Littles" who "know that trillions of dollars must be spent to save Earth from global warming."

Kam, Roswell, NM, USA

That's heresy. It must me trapped CO2.

ajkrik, Pocatello, Idaho

Mars... An inconvenient planet it seems...

steve, phila, pa

Maybe we could send al-Gore to Mars, to save the planet!

Jon Carry, Las Vegas, NV

Clarence from Canada and Terry from Ohio - If I saw a North American television being arrested, I wouldn't automatically extrapolate that to mean that all Americans are criminals. Similarly, just because you see an example of global warming elsewhere in the universe, you shouldn't automatically assume the conditions and causes to be the same as those here on Earth.

This article doesn't "show" or "proove" anything - rather, it "suggests" or "supports" an alternative explanation for global warming here on Earth - however, in the face of the compelling scientific evidence to the contrary (with respect to the causes here on Earth, which, as said in this very article, appear to be different from those on Mars), the arguement would still seem to be tipped in favour of the 'man-made green house gasses, at least in part, being the cause for global warming' arguement.

In lamemens terms - all that black stuff coming out of your car exhaust certainly can't be doing the world any favours!

Ian, Lancaster, UK

Global warming on Mars? It's George Bush's fault!!

Bill, El Segundo, CA USA

Increased heat increases wind, Lori. Can't upset the leftist orthodoxy about global warming by suggesting that it may be caused by (ohmygod!) the sun!!!

Todd & AnnaMaria Emerine, Grapevine, Texas

This goes to show that "Global Warming" on Earth being caused my man, is a myth!

Clarence, St-Etienne, Canada/Quebec

It is pretty clear that the obvious source of variation is not dust but the sun's radiation which is causing temperatures to increase on both Earth and Mars.

Terry, Solon, OHIO

Gosh, could it be the same thing is causing the warm up on Earth? Could it be a big yellow star called the Sun?

lever, Minneapolis, USA

"Scientific consensus?
The scientific consensus before the 16th century was that the universe revolved around the earth. Copernicus proved that wrong.
The same will happen with man made global warming. Except not by Copernicus."

You're historically wrong. Copernicus did not prove the heliocentric theory. He put it forward (nearly 2000 years after Aristarchus). It was Kepler and Galileo who observationally proved it and Newtown who provided the theoretical explanations in Principia.

However, with regard to glabal warming, there is an empirically observed correlation: CO2 levels have risen by 30%+ in 250 years and global temperatures have risen. Both are continuing to rise. There is an Agent: CO2. There is a physically proven mechanism that retains heat: The Greenhouse Effect. It meets the standard of the scientific method that Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo and Newton set the early standard for.

It is now for the sceptics to show the evidence that this is wrong.

Rene Descartes, UK,

.It still astounds me that people can state with absolute conviction that global warming is man made. The post from Sara in NY is a great example. People have traced the effect of the sun and global temp. for hundreds of years and found the correlation between sun spot activity and global cooling. The more sun spots the higher the temp. due to the high amounts of radiation reaching the Earth and its surface. Case in point being the "Little Ice Age" that the world suffered through in the latter half of the 17th and beginning of the18th century when there were almost no sun spots where as now the sun is an active cycle and global temps are on the rise. Many disregard the effects of volcanism on the climate. Want proof? Just look into the records of temp's in Europe after Krakatoa exploded in Indonesia in the early 1800's. I believe they called it the year without a summer. Belief that humans can change the climate so quick is hubris and foolish social engineering.

Craig, Mapleshade, USA

Our Nature article had some press coverage, and some who heard the news would like to attribute our modeled warming (of 0.65° C or 1.2° F) over the 20 year period to changes in the solar output, but our work doesn't involve any such changes. The warming we have modeled is caused by changes on the surface of Mars, rather than by any changes in the Sun. Furthermore, the climate forcing process we have identified is caused by the redistribution of bright dust over a darker surface, a process which does not occur on Earth (at least not to such a magnitude that it influences the global climate system). Earth does undergo albedo changes that impact the climate, but the controlling processes are quite different -- such as changes in cloud cover, sea ice, and vegetation. Thus the warming we have modeled is caused by a process that is unique to Mars, and nothing in our work can be used to make inferences about climate change on Earth. I hope this clears up any confusion to the layperson.

-- Lo

Artur, Moura, Portugal

Maybe all the climate change deniers could explain why they keep the windows in their houses closed during the winter. Is it (a) to stop birds flying in or (b) to stop the heat getting out. If you use glass to stop heat getting out does a thicker layer of glass keep more heat in? If you're unsure of this try replacing the glass in your windows with very thin glass and see what happens next winter. CO2 acts like glass to stop heat getting out so if we have more CO2 in the atmosphere, like a thicker layer of glass, then (a) less heat gets out or (b) more heat gets out? Take your time and think really long about this if you have to. If one unit of CO2 stops one unit of heat getting out then two units of will stop how many units of heat getting out? Count slowly using your fingers, oooonnne, er um twoooo. Yes see it's really quite easy, it's just simply maths. Do an experiment with your oven and see how warm it gets with the door open and with the door closed. Discuss.

John Small, Faversham, UK

We will run out of oil. A major point missed in all this arguments about global warming, is that we are using up this resource and global warming or not -- we will run out. I'd like to change to new technologies before we've run out of coal and oil to the point that we can't power our computers and backhoes long enough to build new options.

We aren't managing the earth's resources well, and there are enough of us now that we need to start to care.

It's advantageous from every angle:
- Companies save money. McDonald's saved a ton of money in Sweden when they implemented "green" initiatives (like only giving cups lids for travel when needed.)

- The right wants more separation and less dependent on middle east oil, so that extremists can be kept at bay without conflict of oil dependency on countries that may not agree with us.

- The left agrees with the need for green initatives.

So what's the debate?

sheri, rockville, usa

""Consensus" is not science. In the late 1700s, Philadelphia suffered a yellow fever epidemic. The consensus of the day, not among the uneducted or superstitious, but among the educated, was that the fever was caused by putrid, moist, stale air, such as was found in summer in the cities of the day. The "proof" was that yellow fever did not rage during winter. This consensus was based on observation and inference. And, it was completely wrong (mosquitos carry yellow fever, and they are much less prevalent during winter)."

This is the typical "science got this wrong before so they must have it wrong now" argument.

Fact is the scientific method first got applied to Physics/Astronomy in the 17/18 Centuries, then Chemistry in the 18/19 and finally in biology in the 19/20th.

In the example you give, biology and medicine was indeed quackery. It was not until Pasteur in the mid 19th Century that biology emerged as a true science and so your comparison is intellectually invalid.

Rene Descartes, UK,

Wayne Smith - why did the scientist not say that the sun might cause the temperature increases? The winds cause dust storms, and this apparently lowers the planet's albedo (by enough??). Winds are caused by air masses moving as a result of temperature differences. What causes the temperature differences in the first place? Not the dust storms, that's for sure. Could we be back at the sun? What is the scientist's explanation for the warming up of the other planets? Dust, CO2, SUVs....

Dennis, London,

"Consensus" is not science. In the late 1700s, Philadelphia suffered a yellow fever epidemic. The consensus of the day, not among the uneducted or superstitious, but among the educated, was that the fever was caused by putrid, moist, stale air, such as was found in summer in the cities of the day. The "proof" was that yellow fever did not rage during winter. This consensus was based on observation and inference. And, it was completely wrong (mosquitos carry yellow fever, and they are much less prevalent during winter). "

Biological science was non-existent then and it was not until Pasteur and others in the mid-19th Century applied the scientific method that was well established by then in Physics, astronomy and chemistry that it went from quackery into a true science. So by definition, science did not have a consensus then.

You appear to be saying, just like creationists, that "science got it wrong then so they have now". That's dishonest and irrational.

Rene Descartes, UK,

ok, you are going to have to break this down into 'stupid' for me so i can understand....

are you people suggesting that this is the right time to buy shares in renewable sources of energy? as this story gets more coverage the share prices of renewable energy companies will go down, wont it?

but we all know the media 'never let the facts get in the way of a good story' (- as my Dad always says) so they are bound to publicise one of the other stories that contradict what this article says, meaning the share prices will go back up?

or are the media sensing that the truth is more controversial now so i should stick with BP/Shell shares?

Pete, London, England

Hans C. Andersen, Orange Park, USA/Florida: "If "global cooling" were the issue today as Time Magazine and Newsweek predicted 30 years ago, would Al Gore and his environmental religion converts be crying for us to burn more gas, use more electricity and mow down the rain forest in an effort to warm up the earth?"

Check out global dimming, Hans. The fact is that less solar radiation is reaching us then ever before. Global dimming exists thanks to particulates in the atmosphere from pollution are reflecting it back into space. It also has the added effect of obscuring the real impact of global warming. The energy industry doesn't want to know the truth and certainly doesn't want you to.

Dan, Hampton, UK

Peter, Dalton, NH...
What's your address? I want to contribute!

Jeff, Houston, TX

Do you think we will read about this in the New York Times, Wwashington Post and the Chicago Tribune ? Will we see this on CBS,NBC,ABC and CNN in next few nights or weeks ? The answer is an uneqivocal "NO" and the reason why is global warming 'sells' .....it doesn't have to be 'FACTUAL' just a clever Democratic way to scare the weak minded masses who they need in 2008 and beyond. WAKE UP AMERICA, YOU ARE BEING MADE A FOOL OF BY THE MEDIA AND SCIENTIST WHO NEED THE RESEARCH $ TO SURVIVE.

Jim Merhar, Malvern, PA

I am increasingly embarrassed of my countrymen. Nearly every sarcastic jokester is from the US.

Would it kill you to not have your potato chips in a plastic can? Would it kill you to drive a car that gets great milage and has low emissions? Hell, even Walmart is making an effort.

What MIGHT kill you (and your grandchildren) is continuing to treat the Earth like your own personal toilet.

So, you can keep driving your SUVs with "The Fish" on the back, but do you really think Jesus will be a sarcastic, polluting chump when He returns.

You're not funny. You are all so sad.

Mark, New York, NY, USA

In such technical discussions it would be useful if the writers gave their occupation. So if the guy who said "Its the sun, stupid"was a physicist, engineer or similar his views may be worth considering. Whereas if he was, say, an accountant his views could be weighted accordingly.

William Garrett, Harrow,

Human Egotism is an amazing thing. People just can't accept the fact that humans are fairly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. We KNOW that the sun is giving off more heat and that surrounding planets are heating up as well. Where's the debate? The earth is lit and warmed by the sun, end of story, ask any third grader. We just happen to be living at a time where we're moving into the next global cooling (ice caps thickening) and experiencing solar warming (ice caps melting) at the same time. If you need a cause, save a rainforest, boycott mass fishing vessels, and buy a Hybrid. Just don't use lies and fear to usurp power and make a buck (or a Euro).

Adam, Charleston, SC

Can't you all see the truth? George Sr. put the Hubble Telescope in space to radiate Earth's heat back to Mars in a pre-emptive move to create warming on another planet. He knew that his son would be sacrificed on the altar of global ecology! It is a vast, Right Wing BUSH consipiracy...By the way, Haliburton did indeed build the Hubble Telescope including the "fixes" to the mirror installed by the direct descendants of Barry Goldwater that secretly discovered Fusion technologies as taught to them by ailens....

Stop the madness!

Brian Towns, Nashville, TN

If "global cooling" were the issue today as Time Magazine and Newsweek predicted 30 years ago, would Al Gore and his environmental religion converts be crying for us to burn more gas, use more electricity and mow down the rain forest in an effort to warm up the earth?

Hans C. Andersen, Orange Park, USA/Florida

My take on Life On Mars comes from David Bowie "is there life on Mars?" answer, no there ain't. Alleged Siteings of discarded shopping trolleys littering this planet have been grossly exaggerated.

john.L, leeds, u.k.

Scientific consensus?
The scientific consensus before the 16th century was that the universe revolved around the earth. Copernicus proved that wrong.
The same will happen with man made global warming. Except not by Copernicus.

Ray DelMundo, Columbus, OH, USA,

Dear Greg, "consensus" just means people agree. They could agree on something scientific, they could agree that the queen shouldn't wear yellow. That's all it means. Scientists agree. They could agree on something based on scientific evidence, they could agree that white sneakers and ponytails are cool. 'kay? It doesn't prove or disprove anything.

starling, Lancaster,

The fact of the matter is that both sides in the climate issue have what *they* want as the outcome firmly etched in place.

The problem for those who want to use this issue as the tool with with to enact controls over every person on the planet to their satisfaction for their own reasons (climate or social) is that a similar warming of Mars shows that human activity is not the cause...and this threatens to take away the stick they have so far brandished.

The fact is, if your 'science' has determined it's humans causing the problem...and the problem is occurring where there are not humans...then your "science" is wrong, and your consensus, is wrong. Like it or not, consensus does not replace REALITY as the arbiter of fact, and this is continuously downplayed by those who wish to use 'consensus' as replacing fact.

So when anyone here urges us to pay attention to 'science' while ignoring that Mars, with ZERO humans, is warming too...you can see their real agenda, control.

Chris E, Goldendale, US, WA

As usual, the skeptics of global warming have not paid close enough attention to what they are reading and have just continued to believe what they already have chosen to believe. This article mentions global processes that are occurring on Mars that are NOT occurring here. The hypothesized mechanisms for warming on Mars is not the same as the mechanism that thousands of the worlds top experts in the field of climatology have determined is at work on Earth. Who do you think would be more knowledgeable on this issue? Thousands of people who have spent decades conducting extensive research, or the kinds of people who write comments on here?

Wayne Smith, Vancouver, Canada

First of all I love all these save the rain forest people, especially when arguing "global warming". Fact is the rain forest cover about mmmm 3% of the earths surface and have little impact on producing oxygen. The Northern timberlands(conifers) running at approx. 50 degrees latitude are most responsible for producing oxygen on this planet and are mostly untouched. Rainforests are worth saving for other reasons, but do not belong in this topic.

One argument i never hear when it comes to global warming and possible reasons-Population Increase. How many billions of people have been added to this world in the last 35 years?? thats a lot of oxygen being exchanged for Co2. hmmmm just a thought

Realistically this is another cycle in the earths ever evolving enviroment and its been going on for billions of years, and will continue long after we are here. Is man possibly accelerating the changes? could be. Can we stop the inevitable? no. Man is so arrogant sometimes-

frosty, buford, ga

A reasonable alternative to the claims that global warming is the fault of us humans. After all, what did we (humans)do to cause, and ultimately bring the planet out of the ice age? Climate change is natural and continuous. Just look at the history of the planet - huge changes have occurred - before man existed.

As for scientific consenus - it is a contradiction in terms, and politicians with their own agendas can't dictate when a scientific issue is settled. Let's recall some past examples of "scientific consensus":
- The world is flat (before Columbus)
- The Earth is the center of the universe around which everything else revolves (before Galileo)
- There is no electron as part of the atom (up to 100 years after Ben Franklin)

The question is not settled. Global warming is occurring, but is it totally driven by human activity, or is it driven by the sun? Are we, relatively speaking, spitting in the ocean? We just don't know.

Jerry, Mt Holly, North Carolina

The reality is this, yes, the Earth's climate is changing, but due to the lack of data past 100 years ago, no one can really say why. Recycling of some materials will help in reducing the costs of some items, but we are in no danger of running out of space for garbage, the landfills are not full and even if they were we could easily build one large one in the middle of nowhere that would serve our needs for over one hundred years. Also there are more trees now on earth than there were a century ago, they are just in different places, which contributes to the climate change, recycling paper will not save our trees because the tree farms that we use for paper are well stocked and the chemicals used in recycling are far more harmful to the environment. We should reduce our need for oil, but not just because of pollution, but because we as a people are being raped by the oil companies who year after year post record profits while the price of oil continues to rise.

Andrew, Antioch, USA

Andrew from London, you want to talk about having your head in the sand? Europeans have made global warming a part of their increasingly left wing agenda. Have temperatures upticked a bit in the last century? Yes.
Is there any proof at all that this was caused by an increase
of CO2 in the atmosphere? Many top climatologists, who unlike Al Gore and you, are REAL scientists, don't think that there is. A top scientist at MIT believes that this uptick has been caused by an increase in solar activity. This would explain the corresponding temperature increase on Mars, where there is no combustion of fossil fuels. I have found that most people such as yourself are totally unaware of the fact that there have been wide variations of temperatures here on Earth over the eons. Have you even heard of the medieval warm period? When temperatures
across Europe and North America were considerably warmer that they are now, Greenland was green and viticulture flourished across southern England.

Carl , New Jersey,

It's quite obvious that the sun's role in any warming of a planet is substantial. To quote the wacky environmentalists, "..of that there can be no denial". The global warming crowd are motivated not by science, but by a rabid, humanistic, almost religious fervor that is inexplicable and based on silly, faulty "science" , and has been disseminated by doomsdayers with no desire to find out what really is at work. For instance, not only is the sun's activity causing warming on earth as well as other planets, but what role do deep ocean currents have upon melting ice, and how do natural phenomena like volcanoes impact weather patterns globally. The part that man plays in the releasing of carbon dioxide worldwide is inconsequential....2-3% at most. Also, anyone with a desire to look at our weather over the last 30 years and how it fits into the weather patterns over the last millenia will find that this is a natural process, not one caused by industrialization. Food for thought.

Glenn, Milwaukee, WI, USA

It bothers me when I hear (or read) that we should just accept that Global Warming is a fact due to "Scientific Consensus." Do these people not realize that, that logic is a fallacy. Science does not work that way, ask Galileo or Edward Jenner. Science looks at all possibilities and only through repeatable experimentation, does it come to a conclusion. So far, with GW, this has not be done. Computer Models really just amount to circular reasoning. If you program the models to product a result of course you will get the result you want, take the now discredited Mann "hockey stick" results or the mere fact that even the weekly weather man gets it wrong, because the modeling software is not 100% perfect. Now we are to believe that 30 years in the future will be more accurate?

Mike, Rochester, USA, NY

Mark, Augusta, Georgia: "We are tired of hearing a bunch of euro-trash whining about the US."

Then what are you doing on a UK website?

Dan, Hampton, UK

There are many different natural cycles that create climate change. Changes in the Earth's orbit, caused mostly by Jupiter and other planets periodic gravitational attraction cause ice ages. The sun has its own natural cycles the most obvious being the sun-spot cycle. Geologic factors also cause climate change on Earth.

Unfortunately, these factors are being used as a smokescreen and a lullaby argument in favor of inaction. The fact remains that the Earth's energy balance is maintained by the action of these greenhouse gases which make up a small percentage of the atmosphere. We are now performing a blind experiment to see what happens if we greatly increase or even double their quantity. It is a fact they absorb energy, it does not magically go away.

It is also in the US strategic interest to reduce reliance on oil from Hugo Chavez and the Saudis. With the Chinese locking up 30yr oil contracts the US will be hard pressed to support its prolificate ways much longer.

David Lisowski, Clifton, NJ

The poles are melting on planet Earth.
The poles are melting on planet Mars.

Just how difficult is it to understand a correlation?
The global warming caused by humans (and of course too rich Americans mostly) crowd is running scared that people may actually understand the correlation and will not support the "slow down the industry in USA, so we can have poor countries catch up and become more equal", quite obviously socialistic aims.

The deep and surely "accurate" research hoping to spread a "no, no, the poles on Mars are melting for a different reason" battle cry is explained in a huge....3 pages (look up Lori Fenton on Google, follow to this article, easy find) which magically popped up right after the report that the polar ice on Mars also melting.

No space for deeper explanation.

Gabor, Alexandria, Virginia

Those darn Martians should have signed the Kyoto treaty and they could have prevented this.

George, Rome, GA

"Consensus" is not science. In the late 1700s, Philadelphia suffered a yellow fever epidemic. The consensus of the day, not among the uneducted or superstitious, but among the educated, was that the fever was caused by putrid, moist, stale air, such as was found in summer in the cities of the day. The "proof" was that yellow fever did not rage during winter. This consensus was based on observation and inference. And, it was completely wrong (mosquitos carry yellow fever, and they are much less prevalent during winter).
Spontaneous generation was another example of "consensus science:" dead animals' carcasses were believed to transform into insects. The "proof" of this possibility was observation of carcasses over time, and the fact that caterpillars transform themselves into butterflies. Again, consensus among the educated, but completely wrong.
Is pollution prevention good? Of course. Is global warming caused by human industrial activity? No.

Greg Gosdin, Austin, Texas, USA

It is so appalling that our carbon footprint has spread into space and now has endangered Mars. Dig deep in your pockets because we are being taken by the greatest shell game ever conceived. The science is inexact and any consensus is the politically correct brainchild of some liberal think tank. Probably the same one which told us 20 years ago that we are on the verge of an ice age. First, make people believe that doomsday is coming and that you and only you have all the answers. Shout down any dissent and make detractors look evil. After you create the fear, tell people that the only way to save them is by spending lots and lots of money. Share in the profits of this venture. In the end, It is a win win proposition. If the world survives, you will be hailed as its savior. If doomsday comes, you are able to claim that you were right but the world took too long to listen. In the meantime, who cares if you destroy the economic lives of ordinary people along the way.

Al, Pittsburgh, USA/ Pennsylvania

How much urgency is there regarding Global Warming when one of it principal propents, Al Gore, leads a lifestyle so much more damaging than most of the world's population.

If the entire world's population lived life as Al does, and do as he does not as he says, then the present population would have an enviromental CO2 impact equivalent to 120 billion people.

I can take to heart what Mr Gore and many of his cohorts preach, about as much as if I lived at the turn of the 19th Century with Mr Gore preaching the abolishment of slavery, while being one of the countries largest slaveowners.

Course it may be suitable that a movement such as a Global Warming Alarmist admire someone that lives a lifestyle that they consider harmful, when they like to ignore other facts that dont go along with their beliefs.

The Global Warming believers say that anyone that doesnt believe them are sticking their heads in the sand? I'd say it is the other way around.

W Manning, Welch, MN

Did you watch 'Life On Mars'? One 1970's Ford Cortina driven at breakneck speed and the resultant carbon emissions threaten an entire planet! Gosh! It's powerful stuff this Global warming!

Derek Dwyer, Warwick, UK

"Humans accelerating it" (Starling, Lancaster)? If you look at the graphs you will see that the CO2 levels started accelerating a long time ago. We contribute next to nothing to the problem; trying to stop global warming (a real condition, granted) by curtailing human activity is like trying to stop a juggernaut rolling downhill by placing a feather in its path.

d'argent, London,

THIS JUST IN!!!!
Scientists have discovered that a coming event on the Earth is going to induce massive cooling in the earth's temperature. Changes of up to 100 degrees F are going to occur, and if we don't do something about this much of the plant life on earth will start losing their vegetation. However, the changes are not going to be consistent in all places.

It seems that in about 6 months time, massive regions of the northern hemisphere are going to rapidly drop in temperature, while paradoxically, just as large sections of the southern hemisphere are going to raise in temperature by the same factors.

Something must be done to stop this massive disruption of the ecosystem, and done NOW!!!

I blame W.

Sarcasmo, Davenport, IA

Whether we are creating global warming or not, we are creating polution. Just try to breath deeply in our cities.
For the sake of future generations we need to clean up our act.

Jeanne, Elizabethton, Tennessee USA

Interesting article. Global warming on Earth, global warming on Mars. Could the SUN have anything to do with that? Only humans have guilt, so only humans, projecting their guilt, will blame themselves for something like global warming and take action to spread the problem like a Jewish mother. Oyve! Some of us really think we're smart, now, don't we? If only we could launch a giant computer monitor screen outside our atmosphere and take care of that pesky sun problem. We could then produce all of the greenhouse gases we want, guilt free!

Dan N, Annandale, VA / US

"Planetary climates COULD be a natural phenomema", lol, since when is that news? And we know that variations in radiation and temperatures make changes. But the American SUV's and building of homes has a far greater influence on the planets of Earth and Mars than our Sun does. lol. I wonder what America has done to Venus. I wonder if we have warmed the climate on Venus also?. lol...Ask Gore.

Kathryn Cohler, Milford, Ct.

All this global warming alarmist reporting is getting too much now.

Quite frankly, if global warming is happening, long may it continue!

South East England has been warmer than the Med this week, it's lovely to go down the pub and sit outside in the sun rather than running inside to get out of the showers!

Steve, Maidenhead, Eng-er-land

Hey, who cares why Mars is warming up. Maybe in the cosmic world, which takes longer than we will ever live, the planet is coming out of a "hibernation period" and is thawing out. Unless it is actually us on that planet physically, you can't point any fingers at little bitty rovers and walkers.
The probes orbiting that planet could be in question though.

Chris, Rosenberg, Tx.

OMG!!! Those damn SUVs on Mars. Where is Al Gore? He will save us. Please Tim Robbins....help us live. Oh wait I just farted....we're all gonna die!!! aaaaaaaaaaaah!

Tom, Rockland County, NY

Perhaps Sheryl Crow could do a concert with Al Gore to Save the Red Planet!
Maybe they could go to Mars, also go ahead and take Alec Baldwin.

NickB, Virginia Beach, Va

I'm not at all suprised that all those European members of the Church of Global Warming Caused by Humans would find no connection between ise melting on Mars and Earth. After all their entire church is built upon denying everything that could possibly contradict their religion.

Just goes to show when you don't believe in God you'll believe in anything.

Russ, Boston, United States of America

I find it interesting that many of your "man is the cause of global-warming correspondents" seem to imagine that "man is the cause of global-warming." What, did we send our "carbon footprints" to Mars! Perhaps a very long pipeline? They'll use any "excuse for them to put their heads in the sands and ignore the scientific" EVIDENCE that MAN is NOT the cause of GALACTIC warming! Hmmm, now if only I could think of the common link between Earth and Mars! What do they share? What's their bond? Think, dammit! Think! Oh, well. Nothing nothing, but maybe later SUNthing will come to me.

Walter, Phoenix, Arizona

"Scientific Consensus" is not Science. Scientific truth is determined through the Scientific Method, not by a bunch of scientists voting on what they believe may be happening. That's supposed to be the difference between Science and Politics -- that Science is advanced through the formation of Hypotheses that are tested through Experimentation and, once proven through that thorough testing, accepted as objectively true Theories. Anything else is NOT Science.

Ronald Hathcock, Provo, UT

There is NO consensus, Andrew. Repeat after me, at least 1000 times, THERE IS NO CONSENSUS. Andrew, you Europeans think you know it all and look down your noses at us, but who pulls your butts out the deep water when you cannot do it yourselves??? THERE IS NO CONSENSUS. There is hypocrisy and a lot of money to be made from the "crisis". Don't accuse US of being uninformed when you refuse to see both sides. It is, always has been and always will be, a political issue. Roger, you have it right - anything to make the US pay more and more and more. If the UN is for it, it has to bad for the USA. God help us now that the liberals are in charge.

F. Evone Heflin, Raleigh, North Carolina

"The Global Warming Brigade having been claiming that this is a manmade condition"

I'm afraid you'll find that the general consensus is that it's a combination of natural causes and humans accellerating it. But I don't expect you (or any of the other "mememe" types on here) to look it up.

starling, Lancaster,

Bob's link correctly pointed out that solar radiation has decreased (by less then one tenth of one percent) arguing that the sun is not to blame for the Mars and Earth’s heating. HOWEVER. The data only goes back 4 years while the phenomena has been observed for 35 plus years. 1998 was the warmest year ever on earth (according to satellite data only going back to 1979). Since then the earth has cooled.
There is no reliable long-term data and there won't be for centuries.

Sean, Stone Mountain, Georgia USA

Wow, it seems like there's an unusually high number of idiotic comments on this story. Did the Drudge Report link to it or something, unleashing the brainwashed masses upon us?

Prometheus, Dallas, TX

I didn't realize the Mars rover put off that much pollution. Guess those solar panels really generate the carbon dioxide. We better started planting trees, buying Martian energy credits, and transmitting "Inconvenient Truth" so the Martians can change their evil, capitlistic ways that I am sure they learned from us.

Or, maybe we should send Al Gore on a fact-finding mission for his sequel. Gore's next blockbuster will tell us how a Martian civilization thrived billions of years ago but due to a capitalistic, free-society, they alter their planet's eco-system, destroyed their atmosphere, and caused the planet to turn red.

E. Reality, St. Louis,

Drew Fargo claims no connection between Martian temps and Earth temps but does not provide any evidence to back up his claim. He needs to back up a strong statement with strong logic. The question of whether the scientists have collected enough evidence about martian thermal patterns to claim the temperature is rising is a different issue. Most likely, they have taken hundreds of medium resolution thermal images over decades from telescopes on earth or in earth orbit. I'm not saying Drew is wrong, and I identify his frustration over individuals who will latch on to any exuse to avoid dealing with an issue. I'm confident the lack of explanation was a result of trying to be brief.

Chris, San Jose, CA

Damn...We need to send AlGore to Mars.....

Jim, Natc..., US?LA

Gee to think the Sun may have something to do with Global Warming, the new religion. What a radical idea! That the mere tilting of the Earth axis during its rotation around the Sun gives us the extremes of summer and winter escapes everyone just shows how blind to the obvious so many people can be. Then on top of that these same people get their panties in a bunch about CO2, but totally ignore the effects of WATER VAPOR, you know clouds, humidy little things like that, that you can actually see too, blows ones mind. Simple example, ever been in a sauna and dumped some water on the hot rocks? Suddenly it's a lot warmer. But WATER VAPOR which has at least a 50 times greater effect on Global Warming not to mention there is a lot more of it, is MAN MADE. So the GW nuts can't go running around pointing fingers at GW SINNERS and extracting $$$$$ from them. Which is really what it's all about.

Mike, Hermon, USA / Maine

Anthropogenic global warming is such a crappy theory that I can't believe any scientist takes it seriously. The climate is always changing and has been doing so long before we and our "evil" CO2 emissions were ever around. The alleged evidence linking increased CO2 emissions to rising temperatures are computer models. Computer models for chaotic dynamical systems like the earth's climate are extremely unreliable, period. You can make such a model give you any output you want with very minor tweaks. There's no "settled science" here despite what the media will tell you; that's not how science works.

I just hope that trillions of dollars aren't flushed down the toilet to chase a phantom problem.

Robert, Wilmington, USA / MA

Posted by Brian Vallance, LEFKIMMI, Greece: There is a problem with the sun hypothesis as cause for both rises.... Remember Sir Isaac Newton's Inverse Square Law.

The fractional change in thermal insolation on Earth, Mars or any other planet, with varying solar radiation, stays the same. The inverse square law plays no direct role here.

The sun produces such a huge amount of energy, is the main driver for climate and weather, that it is confounding to look at any other source for global warming without first eliminating the sun from the list of suspects.

Besides, global warming is likely to be beneficient then disastrous.

DaveP, Beverley, UK

Add to this the observed warming on JUPITER, TRITON and PLUTO.....

James Carson, Saint Paul, USA/MN

Most of the near sol planets are heating up. Its the sun people.... wind, dust ......please. Weve just gone through a solar minimum that exceeds most max's.

Brett, Prescott, USA

As Richard Fineman pointed out, it's not wise to lend credence to what the "majority of scientists think. " Its better to listen to those few who actually know what they're talking about.

Claude Allegre is a prominent French Scientist (and incidentally, a Socialist) who was among the first to sound the alarm on global warming in the '80s and '90s. Now ,he has changed his mind and believes that there is little evidence that the current warming trend is man-made. See his article, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" in l' Express.

This ability to change ones opinion is true science and is to be greatly admired. Don't gloat right-wingers. Who knows, facts may make him change his opinion again.

While climate trends on Mars may have bearing on Earth trends, those of the outer planets should be viewed more sceptically. Their yearly cycles are much longer than ours, as much as 100's of years, and our data just doesn't go back that far. So warming trends there may just be seasonal.

Steve Grant, Rolla, Missouri

There's a Russian scientist who says that this is being caused by solar activity, both on Mars and on the Earth. This was reported here:http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070228-mars-warming.html

Bob, Catonsville, Maryland/USA

Global warming scientists are invested way too much in the power of the greenhouse effect. Sure it helps warm our planet but historically the earth has cooled and warmed under every level of greenhouse gas. In the past, when the earth has had high levels of greenhouse gases, the earth has still cooled again. This makes it apparent that there are other driving forces for temperature change(like the sun.)

Also bob from chicago, is a perfect example of people not being able to think when they argue about this topic. The graph that he references shows a reduction of about .003% in power in the last three years. If your household furnace was cranked on high and you turned it down .003% your house would still get hot just not as fast. You probably wouldn't even know the difference because it is so insignificant. This is just another example of people trying to make the global warming argument by misrepresenting data.

Russell Corey, Kennewick, WA

Climate Scientist.....thats like a weatherman with delusions of grandeur,.....right?!? Oh you are so right, I would never question the weatherman. Heaven forbid.

James White, TN,

The cars on earth are effecting the solor system maybe the galaxy even the universe. Global warming has to change its name to unverseral warming.

m, OP ,

The liberals are using the global warming scare for political purposes to forward their hidden agenda. When will people learn what liberals are all about?

Cameron, Houston, Texas

could our carelessness and evil be affecting mars.

eric, illiopolis, il/usa

"The mechanism at work on Mars appears, however, to be different from that on Earth."

Did you all just skip that part?

Simon Quirk, Douglas, Isle of Man

The article states:
"When a surface darkens it absorbs more heat,..."

Question: '...abosrbs more heat....' FROM WHAT??
Being that there are no people and cows producing greenhouse emissions, and Mars just happens to be in the same solar system as earth, logic would dictate that the what (i.e. heat source) would be the SUN.
The whole 'global climate change' joke is simply produced to get our tax money to be spent on the UN and companies like "chairman algore's" Generation Investment Management LLP. Who else pays for his private jet trips around the world? Follow the money!

Hans B., Newman Grove, NE/USA

Let's see now.....just how many of those nasty, polluting trucks, cars and smoke stacks are there on Mars???

Keith, Texas,

BUSH caused this to happen!

David, Washington, DC, USA

How quick they are to make up a suggestion as to why Global Warming could occur on a globe where no one burns fossil fuels. Wouldn't this show that maybe, just maybe, Global Warming is a function of THE SUN?!?!

Chris, Burke, VA, USA

We should have never sent those probs to Mars. It is all our fault. Please use only one sheet to wipe, before it is too late. We are such bad planetary neighbors.

Ben Dover, Greenwood, MS USA

the earth is warming, and it will cool again. just like it has been doing for about that last 4.5 billion years. That doesn't mean that we don't adversely effect the environment, and that steps shouldn't be taken to find alternative energy sources and stop relying on finite resources. But the whole global warming end of the world doom sayers are getting out of hand. We will probably have another ice age in a few more decades and Global Cooling will be the new religion

Keli, Texas, USA

After big Al takes his show on the road to Mars, have him stop off at Triton and Pluto which conspicuously seem to be warming as well.

Brian Mitts, Everett, Washington

Thank you all so much - I haven't laughed this hard in weeks : )

I'm so confused - I thought volcanic dust cooled the earth. In fact I thought the dust blowing off Asia and Africa cooled the oceans last summer and that's why there weren't a lot of hurricanes in the US. Why wouldn't dust blowing around cool Mars?

Hey when the ice cap melts will there be liquid water on Mars? Surfs up!

Carol, Mount Airy, MD

Someone mentioned a problem with Solar influence due to the Inverse Square Law. That law would suggest that the global climate change would be less on Mars and yet it is about the same. Does this suggest that the presence of humans on earth is a moderating influence rather than the other way around?

Bill Reveile, Austin, Texas

That Mars Rover must have one big carbon footprint...and of course a Republican at the wheel!....I'm sure its somehow related to man and its recent visits to the planet.

Dave, San DIego, CA

SEND AL GORE TO MARS NOW! The red planet needs saving, too. Besides, he might even get elected president there.

Ric, Brandon, MS/USA

Gradual or even somewhat rapid climate changes, sea level increases and storms are becoming more of a concern. Theories about virtually instantaneous climate changes, sea level increases and volcanic activity (further affecting climate) caused by shifts in the Earth's crust are also worth looking at, as in the article:
"Earth’s crust and poles wander, drift and shift: Dangerous days ahead?"

Steve Hammons, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

If it is as bad as the IPCC says it is, we are doomed! Canada is NOW trying to get back to 2000 yr levels when Kyoto wants 1991 levels which no country is really attaining except Russia because of their economic woes between then and now. What reallly galls is when the Al gore Nazis try to say what will happen years hence when scientists cannot even predict Huricanes...last year, we were to have many evil storm in florida and had NONE. and this prediction is made in may for the folowing several months! Al trying to say what will happen in several years is a joke. Some say the heat conveyor in the ocean will colapse and put Europe in an ice age. COmputer models are all over the plce. They really havent a clue.Carbon sequestration took them by surprise;Clueless! It is Completely illogocal to assue that a thermal system as complex as our earth and su would maintain a temperature stable within a degree or two. Many scientists see sun variation as the driver...DUH!!!

Terry Kozusko, cocoa beach, Florida USA

Correlation between CO2 and Global Warming = Cause and Effect

Correlation between Earth Warming and Mars Warming = Coincidence

And look: We have a theory to explain any anomaly from our Dogma.

P. Swanson, San Diego, CA

Global warming is real. I am not saying it is humanitys fault. Stop your ranting and do your own independent research.

Fred in TN

Fred, Knoxville,

Let's get our priorities straight. We need energy sources other than oil to reduce the hold that OPEC has on our economies. It is sheer nonsense to continue to fund the Islamo-Facists efforts to destroy our own western civilization. Let's do what makes the most sense with that objective in mind, and forget about this carbon footprint craziness. And, oh yes, let's learn to adapt to temperature changes on earth whether up or down. We seem to have done that in the past with far less technology at our disposal.

Tom, Basking Ridge, NJ

Um. No connection between Martian temps and Earth temps. Mars temp rise is documented through a few photos. Earth temp rise is meticulously documented through thousands of tests and has been conclusively linked to anthropogenic CO2. The global-warming deniers are now looking to extraterrestrial excuses. The global-warming deniers are now looking like the freaks that they are.

Drew, Fargo, ND

Yes, I think it is time we all admit there has been global warming. Lets put te facts out there so there isn't any debate. The temporature of the earth has risen over the last 150 years. It has risen an alarming .6 C. Yes that is a "." before the six. This is a MAJOR issue.

For those that are younger, they migt not know that during the 20th century the scientific community flipped 4 times on if there was going to be global warming or cooling. Back in the 70's the schools were teaching that were were going to have a new ice age.

Bob,
You pointed to the link at colorado.edu. Did you kno that your graph actually goes to help prove that it is the sun? There is serious talk in the scientific community that the Earth has actually stopped rising in tempature as fast?

As for dust in the air causing rising temps, I have serious doubts. Everytime that we get dust such as from volcanoes, our temps actually decrease.

Rob, Illinois, USA

Oh my god!! You idiots. Look at what we have done. Our recless lifestyle is not only destroying earth, we are also distroying the solar system, and most likely the entire universe. the only solution is for us to commit global suicide. I think the honor of being the first ones to do this nobel deed should go to the left-wing, after all they are the ones who warned us, and the right-wing will do the same, as soon as the left is gone, I promise. Trust me.

BLUE, Vincennes,, U.S.A.

Ok..Ok....So Co2 Rises..Plants breathe Co2.Warmer Temps with a longer growing season and less cold weather= More plant life. Less Ice in the shipping lanes,less fuel oil burned to heat homes and less power used to heat in the winter...The beach ends up closer to my house.

I am starting to think this global warming my be a good thing.

Has anyone Mentioned Mt. St. Helens spewed more pollution into the atmosphere than man has since the Industrial revolution? I know, sometimes the facts get in the way of a good green/liberal/socialist political movement.

Save the Cars.

D. Davis, Cleveland, Tn.

Evidently "Andrew" of London misses the obvious: the "consensus" (a political term, not a scientific term) is BOGUS.

There was consensus once that the Earth was flat, but that was, again, prior to a sound scientific basis when religion ruled and science was the handmaiden, much like today's religion of the state and it's environmental lackeys.

Tom, Queen Creek, USA/AZ

3 or 4 people have stated that "Correlation does not equal causation" and others have alluded to it. That argument can be used against the church of global warming.

In Al Gore's movie, his moment of brilliance is when the 400,000 year temperature data and CO2 data are up on the screen and he asks "I wonder if they ever fit together?" and the audience applauds him. But he's making the same mistake- assuming that two things that appear related have a causal connection.

And when you realize that CO2 changes lag behind temperature changes, maybe there IS a connection... The other way around.

So it is a lot easier to accept that something else is driving the changes. The simplest explanation is the sun.

Oh, Kris in Canada... it's 1/r^3, not squared.

Chris, California,

Andrew observes that a great deal (but by no means all) of those who are drawing a connection between mars global warming and suggesting that solar factors contribute to both our own and their warming are from the US. I'm not sure why americans seem to be more immune to the lemming like impulse to close down debate and stop looking for new evidence on global warming and its causes.

Irrespective of which theory is right, building an orbital shade would "fix" global warming with more certainty, less time, and at less cost. When I want my house's temperature regulated, I don't stop using the stove, I draw the shades on the windows where the sun is beating down and eventually set the thermostat on AC. With upcoming orbital launch advances like a space elevator we can have a permanent global thermostat in orbit prior to 2100 when disaster is supposed to be upon us according to the IPCC. As a bonus, we get less skin cancer.

TM Lutas, Munster, IN, USA

Andrew from London, England

Apperantly it is you putting your head in the sand. No one is suggesting we should go back to polluting the earth. I never saw any europeans demand that China sign the Kyoto treaty even though they are one of the top two polluters in the world.

My thought is you just like bashing the United States. I don't know if this is out of jelousy or just blind hatred. Whatever it is, GET OVER IT! We are tired of hearing a bunch of euro-trash whining about the US.

Mark, Augusta, Georgia

We Desperately NEED to get the SUV's OFF OF MARS, DON'T the Martians Know they are Destroying their Planet with So Much Carbon Emissions?

Do they NOT CARE about their Planet Enough to :Be More Green"?

Ed P., Indianapolis, IN, USA

I am sick of the global warming lunatics. They are going to create laws, taxes and a miserable life with their fear mongering. I know kids who are terrified and believe the earth is going up in flames. It is unconscionable to create that kind of fear and you can bet there is an ulterior motive behind Al Gore and his ilk. The Kyoto treaty is a tool for the UN to be in charge of the world. They want all people crammed in cities so they have absolute control. It is all about one world order and removal of freedom.

Pat, Jackson, USA/Mississippi

Who are these these meteorologist who can predict the weather in the year 2040? Can someone send one to Vegas? Ours have a 50/50 chance of getting the weather right for tomorrow.

Ken Brown, Las Vegas, NV, USA

As usual, "scientists" continue to ignore changes in solar output as a major driving factor of "global warming" on Earth and on Mars. You can't blame SUVs or farting cows or smokestacks for Martian climate change, so how can you be consistent and claim that these things are causing the supposed warming here on Earth? Why on Earth (or Mars) do these "scientists" choose to ignore the most obvious culprit- our Sun?

J. Cereghin, Smyrna,

Does anyone remember when the term "rain forest" replaced "jungle"? Who would give money to "Save the Jungle"?

Taijiguy, Newington, USA / Connecticut

Global warming is real. I am not saying it is humanitys fault. Stop your ranting and do your own independent research.

Fred, Knoxville,

Only those who want to maintain victim status use the word "consensus" where this is none.

Global warming on Mars shows the effect that solar cycle has on warming, period. Anyone who argues otherwise is simply accepting the big lie put forward by the eco-freaks.

Jay, Idaho Falls,

There must be Republicans on Mars!

Tom Curtin, Clifton, VA

Solar radiation is causeing global warming. CO2 merely reflects the rise in temp. The ice core studies show that the rise in CO2 follows the rise in warming by 200 to 800 years depending on how fast the temp rises. we need more studies and better science before we spend hundreds of billions in the wrong place !!!

philip verslues, Holts Summit, Mo.

What's really happening is all of the automakers and oil companies have found a secret way to transfer our big fat carbon footprint onto mars and now it's going to blow up.....and it was all orchestrated by George Bush and Dick Cheney.

Dan, Miami, FL

So, what melted the mile thick glaciers from the ice age since there were few people and no cars around at the time? The question is where in this thousand year cycle are we, and what can we do about it now. The earth is warming, but not for the reasons given; however, we still need to take action.

John, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

Who cares about global warming anymore? The real important news (read your Times feature stories!) is that a Sugababe has been arrested! How can global destruction compare?

RJ, Angelus Oaks, CA, USA

The temperature increase on Mars since the 1970's can be directly correlated to the start of the hot air generated on earth by the new global warming alarmists (aka Gore Trotters). They certainly have a vast amount of "hot air" that travels straight to Mars and melts everything (but only if they say so).

TiM, Milwaukee, USA

It is, of course, very intriguing that the surface temperature on Mars has gone up by a similar amount as that experienced on Earth in a similar period. It is also very satisfying to poke one in the eye of the Big Green Theologans and upset their feeding bowls, we must maintain a scientific rigour (unlike them!)

There is a problem with the sun hypothesis as cause for both rises.... Remember Sir Isaac Newton's Inverse Square Law.

Brian Vallance, LEFKIMMI, Greece

Clearly the Mars Rover was equipped with a V8 pulled from a Hummer. I bet Karl Rove orchestrated it because he wants to kill all the Martian polar bears, too.

Tim, Princeton, New Jersey

Dont you think its kind of Egotistical, to think we can change or even mess with mother earth? If mars and Venus are warming at the same rate as us, is it the martian's carbon emissions? OR just Theorys? Kinda strange other planets are warming at the same rate. Doesnt anyone understand that global warming is still just a theory? The religion of global warming is getting out of hand.

Nick, Melbourne, US/Fl

I am so sick of the global warming crowd so sure of themselves about what is going on with our climate. If Mars is warming too, what's there explaination for this? CO2 emissions?

Global warming fascists - chill out and stop shoving your agenda down everyone's throats. All the proposed changes are not going to make that much difference anyway.

Embrace the warmth.

Robert, Dallas, Texas

The problem with solving any problem today is that it immediately becomes so political that the people don't know who or what to believe or whether it is all just politcal rhetoric that will go away after the next election.

As Adolph Hitler once said"If you tell a big enough lie and repeat it often enough the majority will accept it as fact."

This is also the basis of the so called Urban Legends.

Global Warming is a fact but ,what is the cause or the solution is the question.

Saladin, Greenwich, usa

lets see, maybe they can blame this one on cow farts. must be lots of cows on Mars., factories pouring out contaminants into the thin atmosphere on Mars. To claim the two are connected is stupid. get a life. things in this world are cyclical in nature. I suppose the four seasons are because of heat causing gas in the atmosphere and that the past is irrelevant predicting the future. This applies to nature as well as to people

Lee Law, Greeley, colorado USA

The fact that "consensus" settles anything is simply antithetical to the scientific method.
The 'man-made (well, American/Bush made) global warming ' crowd ignores any and all scientific evidence that blows holes in their dogma and screams 'consensus!! consensus!!' as if that meant anything whatsoever. Then they slime these questioning scientists and equate people like Lindzen and Bailunas with holocaust deniers!
Shame on all of them.

Dr.Guido, Carmel, ca

Little green men, will be all in a flutter, wonder if they'll reach a concensus on the effects of climate change on their cabbage patches, lol

peds, feldy, Scotland

If we'd all just grow our hair long and throw away our deodorant, the world would be a much better place?!
I have been using one square for years... mint anyone?

Mike, Greely, CO

Darn martians and their pollutants! Better send Al Gore up there quick. He'll get them straightened out.

Mark B., Hinckley, USA

Why is this discussion so one-sided? It can't be that Ron Harris and Danny Woods are the only ones to post something intelligent.

starling, Lancaster,

The Viking probe brought with it micro organisms from Earth that have been reproducing on Mars since the 70's. These micro organisms, being from Earth, make them uncaring about the environment by default. Now mind you, there are two schools of thought on this; the first being that the organisms are republicans and are leaving carbon foot prints inside carbon foot prints and polluting the atmosphere with republicanism which is causing the warming on Mars; second, my contention, which goes for Earth as well, is that they are democrat/liberal organisms, which through unending complaining, whining, bloviating, lying and overall mountebanking have heated the atmosphere of Mars just like they have heated Earths.

David Meisner, Beverly Hills , California

Andrew, London, England...
...There used to be a global consensus that the earth was flat. Thank God someone had the courage to argue differently. So, because there is a consensus we should all follow it like good sheep? Get Real...

bob sloggin, fairfax, USA

Andrew from London England-
Science is not consensus. Consensus is not science. This is a fact they must not have taught in school.
Algore from Tennesse-
We are on to your alterior motives. You do not have long to implement your tax scheme or your carbon credit scheme.

SCOTT, LEESBURG, FL.-USA

It's all George Bush's fault, just like everything that happens on this planet, now he is affecting the solar system.

Mark, Drexel Hill, PA/USA

Oh yeah and China and India are really going to stop emitting more pollution. Riiiight! Let's enforce all these g/\y global warming restrictions on the US only, just to have all the pollution from China and India mess everything up.
So we can have a higher cost of living before we all "die" in 10 years..

Even if the sea level rose.. who cares,, I live on a hill so I'de have beach front property..

aguyinoc, Los Angeles, Crazyville

"Mars was fine until the Mars Rover...obviously an SUV built by Halliburton...got there, causing man-made global warming there as well as earth." - hahahhahahahahahah

What about the polar bears on mars!?!? Where will they go Mr Bush???

aguyinoc, Los Angeles, Crazyville

Solution, make Al Gore Supreme Ruler of Mars send him there and let him impose his ridiculous "carbon tax" on the little green men and woman of Mars...If it works on Mars then we can institute it here on Earth...

P, New York, New York

Andrew from London...THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS!!! It has absolutely nothing to do with what country we live in, the term "scientific consensus" is itself an oxymoron. You have fallen for one of the greatest hoax known to man. Of course it's not surprising since you let your country watch your every single move with camera's, you must believe everything they tell you.

Britton, Madison, WI, USA

If mars is warming and the earth is warming what do they have in common?
The SUN
There are no SUVS or people on mars

andrew, angelton,

Sacrificing virgins was just as savage ... and just as useless.

RKPaden, Atlanta, GA

maybe if we use just half a square of toilet paper per potty break we can save mars in addition to earth.

Jimmy, San Antonio, Texas

I think the Times must have forgotten about the law that says all things should be blaimed on George Bush

Doug, Philadelphia, usa

Of course the global warming by humans issue won't go away after this "revelation"! Not until Brown, Gore, etc have taxed everything to do with it and found another hobby-horse to get their money grabbing mitts on!!!

BTW have I got this right, the sleeve is for the loo and the tissue-paper for your nose - right?!?!?!

Vaughan, Leicester, England

It's amazing how little research many of these US posters braying like donkeys have done. Then again, there is an apparent correlation with spelling mistakes with many of them.

The Earth's temperatures are rising, yet the amount of solar radiation reaching us is falling. However, try explaining that to the flat earth believin' SUV -a ridin' minority.

Dan, Hampton, UK

What greater proof do we need that Bush & Co. are the most diabolical politicos ever.?
Until he became President Mars and Mother Earth and the MidEast were fine...Now????
Al Gore exposed his evil means and intents in "An Inconvenient Truth"....but only the intellectual Left in the UK and the USA would listen.
It's obvious to the casual observer that the end is nigh and it's all W's fault!!

Dr.Guido, Carmel, ca

Its always humorous to see the absurd arguments put forth by the uneducated, anti-science right wing crowd as they try to refute 95% of the worlds climate scientists.

jeff clauser, chicago,

Those eeeevil humans from Earth are causing this! Just ask Al Gore! And I thought the two Mars Rovers were zero emission vehicles.... Maybe if I find a way to feel guilty enough I'll give money to an organization to "save Mars". No wait, I'm now officially launching a non-profit organization to stop Martian warming, so send money to me! Save Mars now!

Peter, Dalton, NH

with the fate of our solar system hanging in the balance, al gore should spearhead an expedition to set the ignorant martians straight before they ruin everything:

1. no cars
2. no lightbulbs
3. no toiletpaper
4. no farting
5. build more shade

i agree with all of the above, this is clearly george bush's fault. let's impeach him.

stephen alexander, doylestown, usa/pa

Just how will the Big Green Propaganda Machine make the warming of Mars our fault?

Brian Vallance, LEFKIMMI, Greece

So what is the moral of this news item? It shows the similarities between the global warming worshippers and Martian microbes-they're both brainless.

Fred, Milwaukee, USA

Since Al Gore is doing such a bang-up job getting the message out that our planet is doomed, why don't we send him and his people to Mars. Perhaps he can be that planet's savior as well. I, for one, am willing to sacrifice his greatness for such a noble cause.

Dave Colf, Winchester, VA

Damn Haliburton/Neocons/Rumsfeld/Big Oil.

Find some celebrities, rally the Environgelical's! Can I use more than one sheet of toilet paper on Mars?

When's the first Mars Day Celebration?

Bkhuna, Merritt Island, FL, USA

I was having a few beers with Al Gore in his energy efficient Tennessee home and he started to explain to me that when the Clinton Administration sent Mars probes they took a longer route to Mars and that George Bush’s Mars probes flew too close to the sun and “poked” a hole in the Sun’s Ozone layer and that is the cause of Global warming on Earth and Mars. And you all thought Global Warming was a natural phenomenon, in reality it is George Bush’s fault.......

Dexter, New Jersey,

I hope that thoughtful people will research this issue. Man made CO2 is about 1 part in 37000 of the atmosphere. If we cut our consumption in half that will reduce the CO2 by 1 part in 74000. I suggest that you watch the movie "The Great Global Warming Swindle" for some balance in your view.

Bert , Newport Beach, USA / CA

This article, although very short - is specific in the causes of warming on Mars which is quite literally coated in dust and sand - both of which will absorb heat.

I note that this has predictably enough not stopped the frenzied bleating from some of our American cousins, more convinced than ever that the sheer amount of pollution being produced by billions of human beings not to mention mass deforestation has nothing to do with global warming. Perhaps they can convince the Connecticut cowboy to nuke that darn pesky sun? I'm sure the Bush administration can find links to Al'Qaeda.

Dan, Hampton, UK

Our own anthropogenically induced global warming is occurring due to all of the GHGs entering our atmosphere due to -as I mentioned- our own undertakings. Check the stats- the sun's impact is only VERY minimal on our own changing climate.

I wish I could state the numbers here but I cannot rememeber them at the moment. All reliable stats DO show, however, show that it is clearly anthropogenically induced

Sara K, LI , USA / NY

This climate change on my planet, Mars is caused by the solar activity of the sun. This is the same cause for the global warming on your planet, earth. By the way for all of you earthlings, the rise in carbon dioxide, followed the rise in ocean temperatures, which followed a period of high solar activity. Check the data and correlations. Please do not let ALGORE do any space travel.

Captain Kurt, Miami, FL

It seems to me that the obvious Mars-Earth connection to planetary warming is being overlooked. A few years back it was discovered that Martian bacteria had landed on Earth on board a meteorite. (Anyone remember that one?) And, of course, that was the primordial ingredient from which we all evolved. Now, if it's warming on Mars, even though the scientists forgot that the bacteria were there earlier, and it's warming on Earth, it's probably still the bacteria! Solution: Lysol sprayed from black helicopters! Next problem please...

Duke, Amityville, NY

Gotcha ! The Global Warming Brigade having been claiming that this is a manmade condition, but has been proven to be a cyclic change due to solar activity from the Sun which has and will increase it radiation by as much as 50%. This does not change the fact that we need to reduce our relience on oil for energy due to pollution.

The main reason for this bandwagon is to create a global tax adminstered by the UN, a key advocate being none other than that expert in all thing we hold dear, Tony Blair.

Roger, Epping,

I find it interesting that many of your correspondents from the United States seem to imagine that this is an excuse for them to put their heads in the sands and ignore the scientific consensus that that has now developed on climate change (see "Science" & "Nature" et al).

Why this is so escapes me, lack of information in the United States, wishful thinking, the influence of the oil lobby, or a natural unwillingness to acknowledge unpleasant truths, these may all be explanations.

Aside form that this observation an interesting news article.

Andrew, London, England

Ahhh -- but why let FACTS get in the way of fear mongering by all those global warming alarmists? After all, how will they "extract" money from society and dictate everyone else's life styles if this TRUTH be universally exposed?

Bill, San Francisco, USA / CA

Mars was fine until the Mars Rover...obviously an SUV built by Halliburton...got there, causing man-made global warming there as well as earth.

Jarrod O., Aberdeen, SD

I think it's far more prudent to protect and ensure the survival and maintenance of the world's rain forests. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen while all mammals absorb oxygen through our lungs and emit carbon dioxide. This natural symbiosis between living species enables both to continue and thrive. But cut down the rain forests and try to stop carbon dioxide emissions as much as possible, and this delicate balance between trees and mammals would surely fail at some point and could doom both flora and fauna. But at the same time, we can't control the weather or sun spots and other solar activities, but we can all do our part by recycling what we remove from the Earth, such as plastics from oil, and metals from mining. Sure, mining and drilling provides jobs, but what do we do when it's all gone and buried in mountains of rubbish that poisons the Earth? Oh yes, dig and drill for more, hoping to find that endless supply!! We need to wake up and respect our Planet.

Jeanie, Lake City, Florida USA

We all know the artic ice is melting, and that the antartic ice is
thickening. Since water is heavier than ice, the real danger to
us isn't rising sea levels, but that the earth will turn upside-down and
we will all fall off.

Mel, Murrells Inlet, USA/SC

Global warming is probably a farce.

Too bad Gore has side tracked the masses from the real damage mankind has, and is, wreaking on the planet.

PPK, Iowa City, USA/IA

The above commenters are missing a salient detail: atmospheric CO2 affects global temperatures. We have added tons and tons of atmospheric CO2. Regardless of whether Mars has had a 30 year spike (as opposed to our 150 year spike), everything points to the temperature raising 3 or 4 more degrees in the next 50 years, leading to large destruction.

People are really in denial, but obfuscating the issue like this is just plain immoral when so much potential destruction is on the line. Furthermore, why WOULD we wish to continue our reliance on polluting industries that leave us vulnerable to foreign oil producers, rather than developing green renewable energy sources?

elissaF, Canberra, Australia

and i also read that the winds are scouring the surface and leaving an exposed surface which is darker and able to absorb more heat.

Gord Kapasky, toronto,

Confines of space no doubt restricted the reporting of the views of Lori Fenton of NASA and possiibly this is why an important question was not addressed.
Why have areas of Mars become darker? There needs to be a calm comprehensive and open discussion about this whole issue before we get into a case of 'True today but wrong Tommorrow'. Cause and effect springs to mind.

Since how climate works here on Earth isn't fully understood, it is dangerous to postulate about causes when there are gaps in the research evidence..

One thing is clear. Talk of humans being (wholly) responsible for global warming creates a nice little earner for the taxman ! Talk about it -maybe -being due to, as yet unknown factors possibly out of our control, is not so attractive to fund raisers!.

I remain open minded.

Ron Harris, Ross-on-Wye, UK

bob, chicago: the very slight downward tread (0.03% over 4 years) is because the sun is approaching the minimum of its current cycle. The warming on Mars therefore shows that other mechanism(s) than the incident flux are important, whatever they may be, and on Mars they have absolutely nothing to do with us. It is not unreasonable to assume that those "other mechanisms" may be working on Earth as well.

connor, colorado: sarcasm is an excellent device to clean up a messy discussion and turn it into a reasonable one.

Ed Zuiderwijk, Cambridge, UK

Bob in Chicago: Nice try, but data back to 2003 does not answer the mail. Besides there are other solar variables theorized to be as or more important to global warming (e.g., solar wind). Occam's razor points to the sun--the common factor.

As for global warming radicals: Sacrificing virgins to appease volcanos made the savages feel better too, but in the end was just savage.

scott, san antonio,

Sarcasm might not have it's place in reasonable discussion, but it seems logic can't have it's place either. The Global Warming congregation will not listen to logic without bitter attacks upon those who disagree.

joseph K, christiansburg, usa / va

clearly we are at fault. if we had been more considerate, we would have never sent our wicket technology there in the first place. probably we gave them the "fever" that we have......

Gore...what do we do? help us!

mark, austin, texas

A rather incovenient truth for Al Gore and his felow envirocultists to to deal with. Just imagine the attention this news would be getting from the media if it supported anthropogenic global warming rather than help refute it.

bea, Los Angeles, USA

I live in the northeastern U.S. We could stand a little global warming here.Send some to us please.

ron, topsham,

An interesting piece of news and hopefully something that the numerous eco-crusaders will at least take into consideration before forcing everyone to adopt potentially business-disrupting policies. I am not saying that Earth-warming is not man-made (I am one of the few who admits, not being an expert, to being unable to make sweeping pronouncements on the cause of complicated climate phenomena). I am simply saying that all arguments should be considered fairly.

Abioye A Oyetunji, London, UK

Where's Al Gore when you need him ? He should be lecturing the Martians on ways to prevent global warming. Maybe he can sell them some carbon offsets from his company. And Sheryl Crow can advise them on using one sheet of toilet paper per potty visit. Could NASA arrange to shuttle all our environ-mental experts to Mars ?

Tom Li Ky, Toronto, Canada

That doggone Bush must be behind this global warming on Mars.

Sheryl Crow, Hollywood, CA

It just keeps on expanding. Now we've messed-up Mars!

Who would have suspected our CO2 could ever be so influential?

BTW, are they suggesting that "life" is not natural?? Is there some sort of creationism creeping in here?? :-)

David Young, Sandy, USA

UK collects rubbish now biweekly; the Martians have absolutely no rubbish collections at all yet they are still destroying their planet. When is Greenpeace going to crack down on those intransigent Martian pigs?

Mitch, Charlotte, NC, USA

This is just a foreshadowing of the environmentalist argument that will be unleashed on human voyages to Mars and any other interesting place in the Solar System.

Ryan, Minneapolis,

I guess Mr. Lionel Tiger that you still believe the world is flat.

Environmental scientist, Bangkok, Thailand

This might mean more if Mars' atmosphere was the same as ours. Last time I checked, Mars wasn't sporting a great deal of oxygen or nitrogen: it's atmosphere consists mainly of carbon dioxide.

Precisely what we're trying to avoid.

Danny Woods, Glasgow, Scotland

I've been saying it for years to anyone that has thrown this global warming garbage at me.

"ITS THE SUN STUPID"

People remember slogans. This is a spinoff of a political slogan from that Dynamite Duo Clinton/Gore in 92 "ITS THE ECONOMY STUPID".
That bunch told us we were in the worst economy in 50 years. After the election we learned that the economy actually grew very well the last 2 quarters of the first Bush's Presidency.

If you tell a lie long enough and you get the mass media to carry your water the masses will also believe. We can change all this with a slogan that actually tells the truth. If we say it over and over and get the media to repeat it perhaps this truthful slogan can reverse this "Man Made" global warming farse.

"ITS THE SUN STUPID"

Ken, Detroit, MI

The Martians need to follow Sheryl Crow's advice and use one square of toilet paper. It could be that the Martians aren't following the EU's cow flatulance guidelines...lol

R Reagan, Omaha, Nebraska

Maybe we can send Sheryl Crow and Laurie David there to teach the martians how to use one square of TP and the napkin sleeve...

Don't let the liberals find out about this though, they will deny it!

Rob, Mokena, USA/IL

I bet the global warming activists here are denying there is climate change on Mars!!!!!!

D. Smith, Mesa, AZ

Wait, Bob. You're saying that the Sun is getting colder? Gosh, I was wondering why it's been chilly the past few days now. Should I start wearing my coat more often, then?

Quickly, we need to burn more trees!

Jack, Gosport, England

It appears that in NASA's view if the phenomenon were caused by living organisms, then it would be considered unnatural. Why do we put up with such taxpayer-funded idiocy?

Ralph, Andover, MA

The Sun. Another Inconveinent Truth. What will Al do about the Sun?

Ronald Patton, Houston, Texas

You yanks still dont get it do you, climate change is here now and it is down to us.

Tim, TAKAPUNA, NZ

I hope people wake up and see this global warming propaganda for what it is, a natural cycle. Before we all get allot more rules, lose freedoms and waste allot of money and resources.

John, Central, USA / Missouri

No, Robert you got it wrong. It's because the four (or so) probes we landed on Mars. They emitted so much the dreaded carbon dioxide, causing global warming. So you see, mankind is responsible for destroying two planets. When will we stop this madness!?! I cry myself to sleep everynight worrying about Earth and Mars. I'm going to buy some carbon offsets from AlGore's carbon offset company for the Mars landers to make me feel better.

Samson, Tampa, FL

Obviously it's Bush's fault. He lied when he sent an expedition to Mars under false pretenses. He's only after the oil on Mars. He's destroying the Martians' planet. What will happen to their polar bears?

Art, Lake Hiawatha,

Where are the warmer's? Hmm, the silence is deafening.

ken, jacksonville, fl, US of A

I hope people wake up and see this global warming propaganda for what it is, a natural cycle. Before we all get alot more rules, lose freedoms and waste alot of money and resources.

John, Central, USA / Missouri

OK. Now, I seem to recall that Jupiter also has an additional 'spot' - thought by 'scientists' to be indicative of additional input of radiative energy from the sun. And - the planet Uranus ALSO has a new 'spot'. So along with the melting ice cap at Mars and Earth, we have 4 out of (now) 8 planets in this solar system showing signs of warming in recent years.

Remind me again - what is that thing in he sky that they have in common? Sheesh! I sure am glad that this debate about man's influence on global warming is over! The most honest thing a scientist can say is that we don't know. He can qualify his statements, cite uncertainty, preponderance of evidence. But OVER? It just ain't so.

Dave L, Woodlands, USA

Sarcasm has no place in reasonable discussion

Conor, Central Colorado,

I thought the next line would be that the EU is blamine the United States and George Bush for the temperature rise. Every problem on Earth seems to be Americas doing why not the solar system.

Bob Stratton, Atlanta, Ga

The cause of global warming on Mars is obviously from those
rovers we have up there kicking up dust. I heard that some NASA
dudes were doing doughnuts with one of the rovers. There is even a plan to get the rovers together and have a drag race!

racing parnelle, daytona, florida

It is incorrect to blame Mars Warming on "natural Solar activity variance".

Because the total solar irradiance measured in Watts per square meter, has actually been on a slight downward trend, meaning the Sun has actually been getting slightly colder over the past few years,

http://lasp.colorado.edu/sorce/total_solar_irradiance_plots/images/tim_level3_tsi_24hour_640x480.png

bob, chicago,

As an environmentally conscious 27 year old, I cannot believe that the CO2 temperature nonsense has been allowed to falsely fool my generation so effectively. It's about time my generation knows the truth about the climate, and is told about the Mediaeval Warm Period, the insignificance of industrial carbon emissions, and Carbon budgets. How has this information been withheld from us ? I am so angry that I have sacrificed my own personal well being, my own health, sweat, tears and blood for this nonsense. This ethical fascism must be stopped now. However I fear it will get worse, and more liberties will become threatened. The private members bill currently in parliament must be rejected. This ngo lobbying is not democracy. The Kyoto protocol must be rescinded. However, alternative energies and fuels should be developed, as fossil fuels are finite. There are environmental issues from using fossil fuels, but they don't relate to CO2 emissions. False truths will lead to false solutions.

Lionel Tiger, Birmingham,

Global warming on Mars? Just more proof that George Bush is destructive not only to planet Earth but also to the entire solar system! It's all his fault. In fact, I'll bet that before he leaves office, he'll find a way to extend his destructive powers to the whole Milky Way galaxy! Who needs satan when you've got George Bush to blame! First he overthows the Taliban, then he deposes that lovable world leader, Saddam Hussein. Then the whole Earth, now Mars, and next? Can't you see the pattern here? Elect Hillary in 2008. Save the world!

Gary Brown, Oklahoma City, OK

I dare you to tell anyone in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, or Louisiana who has been there for more than a few years that variations in surface radiation and temperature haven't generated strong winds here on Earth. It seems like exactly the same mechanism to me; the sun causes the temperature imbalances on Earth just like Mars. Those imbalances seek a balance, and storms result from that attempt.

John, Hamilton, NJ, USA

This is why global warming has no credibility with people who think beyond what they are told. Why is it that Mars activity is seen as a natural occurrence (OK, "could be" and "maybe"), but Earth activity can only be man made?

Please, now, finally, can we stop this global warming rubbish?

Earnie Bliss, Whitehouse, OH/USA

Doesn't it seem like more than a coincidance that Mars is warming at the same time as earth? Last time I checked, there were no SUVs of power plants on mars. Couldn't this global warming have something to do with the sun or some other natural phenomena affecting the solar system?

David Smith, NY , NY

Russian scientist have said that the gloabl warming is siplydue to solar activitycycle that releases more energy suring certain perids ad less in others. The last cycle was in the midst of the late 1700 when there were glaciers near Boston - Gore has ignored this fact. The Russian sceintists aso predict that beginning in 2012 we goe through a new cooling period and within several years GLOBAL COOLING will be the ho topic...

Nathan, Boston,

Actually its those Mars Pathfinder mini-SUVs that we've put on the planet that are causing the warming!

Brian S, Charlottesville, USA/Virginia

This may be one of the dumbest sentences ever written:

"Since there is no known life on Mars it suggests rapid changes in planetary climates could be natural phenomena."

Now that is one "mental giant" of a sentence. LOL!! I'm still laughing as i write this. Suggests? Could be? No, I'm sure man is somehow responsible.

Ken, Houston, USA

Just more proof that "Global Warming" is nothing but a natural cycle based upon Solar activity.

Troy, Pahrump, NV

No, No, No. You've got it all WRONG. Mars is melting because the Earth has gotten so hot that it is radiating it's excess heat all the way to Mars. Don't you realize that Global Warming started the same year (1970) that George Bush graduated from Yale? Ever since then, he has been driving his S.U.V. at high speed, creating such a wind that it has been kicking up that dust storm on Mars.
Ignore that fact of increasing solar temperatures over the past 35 years.
Ignore the fact that increased sun-spot activity ( massive solar ejections), increase the temperature in Earth's upper atmosphere.
Ignore the fact that these cooling and warming trends have occurred periodically over the history of Earth. This time the warming will never end!

"Ignore the man behind the curtain!"
Obey AlGore!

Robert, Arden, U.S.A./ Delaware