How does the sun affect our climate?

The sun is the primary source of energy on earth. It is the source of most of the energy that drives the biological and physical processes on earth. In the oceans and on land it fuels plant growth that forms the base of the food chain and in the atmosphere it warms air which drives our weather. The rate of energy emitted from the sun varies on a day to day basis causing slight variations in weather patterns. Also, the earth-sun orbital relationship can change the geographical distribution of the sun's energy over the earth's surface.

Some people have suggested that the rate of energy from the sun has changed and as a consequence global temperatures have been on the rise. But scientific evidence suggests that changes in solar heating rates over the past hundred years cannot account for the magnitude and distribution of the rise in global mean temperatures. Scientific evidence indicates that the rise in temperatures has nothing to do with the sun's energy output.

According to the scientific community, solar variability has played a role in past climate changes. It is believed that the Little Ice Age  was caused by a decrease in solar activity. But this is not the case this time as the amount of energy coming from the sun has remained constant since about the 1750s. In addition scientists have observed a cooling in the upper atmosphere and a warming at the surface and in the lower parts of the atmosphere. This warming in the lower atmosphere is a direct result of greenhouse distributions.

The sun plays a fundamental role in preserving life on earth. Now humans must do their part also to preserved life on earth by examining how we define progress and at what costs can we continue to make progress. Is the cost of progress worth it for future generations?