Is there really "nothing to report" about current solar activity?

William M. Briggs, Statistician » What’s Wrong with the Sun? (Nothing)

Anyway, back to the real purpose of this press release. Why are people so interested in the length of the solar cycle? Easy. Because for years, most climatologists insisted that the role the sun plays in the climate was minimal. That is to say, changes in the behavior of the sun were not thought to be related to changes in the Earth’s climate. The sun, which alone supplies all the energy that goes into creating the climate, was thought not to be important. Obviously, this attitude is starting to change. This press release is a tacit admission that some now admit some role of the sun in climatology.