Is The Holocene Really A New Epoch?

CSS-24 That question is a bit esoteric since the physical evidence will not be available for a few thousand years. But the question is important because it demonstrates one of the principal tactics that the alarmist community (not limited to “Climate Change”) loves to invoke. Weaponizing terminology is an art form used by our academic, corporate, and political elite to promote societal division and continually push us down the path of totalitarian socialism. In the same context, a new “unofficial” word has been coined to describe the new geological age humanity has supposedly just initiated, the Anthropocene. The problem with both designations is simple. Neither are justified. The Holocene is not a new Epoch, it is just one more interglacial warm period in the long line of interglacial warm periods over the last 2.58 million years (the Pleistocene Epoch/Ice Age). The Pleistocene Epoch has not ended and will last for many more millions of years. The Anthropocene is just a fanciful concept that will become completely invisible in the temperature record. I can put that statement forward because the 1.07 °C temperature increase since the preindustrial period (as per the IPCC AR6 Report) is already much less than natural temperature variation (as shown in the attached figures). More detail to follow.

#climatechange #delaythegreen #globalwarming #showusthedata

That 1.07 °C must be broken down a little further. Most of our human emissions (86%+) have occurred post-1950. A fact recognized by the Anthropocene acolytes, since they are proposing the Anthropocene began in 1950, with the “Great Acceleration” (more wordsmithing). But roughly half of the 1.07 °C temperature rise occurred prior to 1950 (i.e.: roughly half of the temperature rise is due to natural forcings (not CO₂)). Global temperatures dropped from 1945 to 1975 and then rose from 1975 to the turn of the century in concert with the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation’s (AMO) cold/warm phase cycles. In places like Greenland and Iceland, the temperature fluctuations over the last 150 years can be explained with just the AMO (CSS-23 – Greenland-Iceland – Homogenization). Other ocean cycles were also active contributing to both warming and cooling. Solar activity was more prominent pre-1950 but was still playing minor roles post-1950. For more detail, refer to my CSS-7 – CO₂ – The FECKLESS GreenHouse Gas post. So, how much has CO₂ actually contributed to global warming? When all the data is considered, not much. To label the Anthropocene a new geological period is premature at best and ridiculous given that 72 years is much like a nanosecond on geological time scales. For comparison the Pleistocene Epoch has already lasted 2.58 million years (and counting). This CSS starts with some definitions and the long-term Cenozoic data (66 million years of Benthic Foraminifera Isotope (BFI) information). The analysis runs through some shorter BFI time periods then transitions to the Greenland/Antarctic ice core data. The Ice Core data is then combined with the Milankovitch cycles (all components of which are headed cooler). The last two slides summarize the expected long term temperature estimates. Regardless of humanity’s activities, our planet will experience another deep ice age within the next few thousand years officially ending the concept of a Holocene Epoch or an Anthropocene. I have provided a table (CSS-24g) of the many significant drivers that are likely to cool the planet dangerously over the next few decades/centuries (it is not just the Milankovitch cycles). For billions of years, CO₂ has played a minor role (hidden in the natural variations). But now suddenly, CO₂ (a trace gas, essential for life) will just overpower all the natural cooling forcings. Not bloody likely. Wake up and recognize the real existential Climate Change threat. The cooling (which began in early 2016) will continue and will severely compound the energy/food crisis we are already starting to experience. These ridiculous green schemes need to be put on the backburner now. Our grandkids can easily deal with the minor warming that CO₂ might provide 80 years from now (assuming they do not starve and/or freeze to death over the next couple of decades).