Troubling truth: Sun is 'cooler,' Earth is hotter

A recent letter mentioned the possibility of global cooling due to reduced solar output, with a false claim that NASA is "effectively forecasting" a return to the Dalton Minimum. There is a ginned-up chart making the rounds of the internet where a real "400 Years of Sunspot Observations" chart has been modified to make it look like we are about to enter Dalton-like levels of sunspot activity.

Interestingly, solar activity has been on the decrease since 1975, while the Earth's surface has warmed at an alarming rate. Since 1975, the stratosphere has been on a cooling trend, while the trop­osphere and the Earth's surface have experienced historic increases in temperature. That is a rather clear signature of reduced solar output resulting in a cooler upper atmosphere, while greenhouse gases have warmed the lower atmosphere and surface temperature.

The sun has been taking it easy on us, but we have overwhelmed any cooling effect at the surface by continuing to pump massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (36.2 billion tons in 2017 alone), along with large amounts of even more potent greenhouse gases. These gases trap the sun's heat, rather than allowing the heat to escape back into space at night. We continue to warm, even though the sun has been shining less brightly. That is the elephant in the room.

Kevin Goczeski

Arlington Heights