The Real Origin of Climate Change and the Feasibilities of Its Mitigation

Abstract

The actual treatise represents a synopsis of six important previous contributions of the author, concerning atmospheric physics and climate change. Since this issue is influenced by politics like no other, and since the greenhouse-doctrine with CO 2 as the culprit in climate change is predominant, the respective theory has to be outlined, revealing its flaws and inconsistencies. But beyond that, the author’s own contributions are focused and deeply discussed. The most eminent one concerns the discovery of the absorption of thermal radiation by gases, leading to warming-up, and implying a thermal radiation of gases which depends on their pressure. This delivers the final evidence that trace gases such as CO 2 don’t have any influence on the behaviour of the atmosphere, and thus on climate. But the most useful contribution concerns the method which enables to determine the solar absorption coefficient β s of coloured opaque plates. It delivers the foundations for modify ing materials with respect to their capability of climate mitigation. Thereby, the main influence is due to the colouring, in particular of roofs which should be painted, preferably light-brown (not white, from aesthetic reasons). It must be clear that such a drive for brightening-up the World would be the only chance of mitigating the climate, whereas the greenhouse doctrine, related to CO 2 , has to be abandoned. However, a global climate model with forecasts cannot be aspired to since this problem is too complex, and since several climate zones exist.