David Purchase: Hold the front page on who's causing climate change | theage.com.au

I insist that we continue to debate the issue.

I insist that we hear — above the noise of the throng, above the derision of the climate change fanatics — from those scientists and researchers who hold counter views, who provide counter-explanations, and whose research points to other possible causes of warming than carbon release from human activity.

I happen to believe that the social, cultural and intellectual marketplace of ideas and opinion, of discussion and the weighing of facts, of the testing and retesting of argument, are central to our success as a community, as a nation, and as a world. It is important we do all these things with climate change before imposing enormous and, perhaps, unnecessary cost imposts on business.

I can't help but think that, in 10 years' time, we will look back and wonder how so many of us were misled by global warming alarmism.

I think there is a silent majority who, like me, harbour doubts on the cause of climate change. But the trouble with the silent majority is that it has become too silent. We have allowed ourselves to be bullied submissively into a single view and a single course of action.

It is time we returned open, reasoned debate, genuine inquiry and a genuine sharing of ideas to this discussion.

Sunspots Are Fewest Since 1954, but Significance Is Unclear - NYTimes.com

Scientists expect that sunspot activity will pick up in the coming months, but exactly what will happen next is open to debate. Dr. Hathaway had predicted two years ago, based on the Sun’s behavior near the end of the last cycle, that the maximum this time would be ferocious.

“I’m getting worried about that prediction now,” he said. “Normally, big cycles start early, and by doing that, they cut short the previous cycle. This one hasn’t done that.”