Overview of climate science and related topicsPREFACE
John Shanahan
June 16, 2025
This report has been written for students, parents, grandparents, and elected officials.
Understanding climate science is very important for everyone, mainly because many elected officials, the media, special interest groups, and universities and schools in Australia, Europe, and North America are teaching and making energy policies based on claims that carbon dioxide from fossil fuels is a serious pollutant, causing catastrophic man-made global warming. Meanwhile, natural carbon dioxide is the molecule of life.
Natural and man-made CO2 molecules are identical. What are the global warming alarmists doing?
We want to make this report easy and fun. There are only a few mathematical equations, chemical formulas, and complicated diagrams.
We discuss sunshine, infrared radiation, the kind that your body gives off to cool you down, and events in weather and climate. EASY, right?
Weather and climate are complex subjects. Simplified climate models are incomplete and of limited use. We must understand weather and climate because some leaders are up to no good with plans to harm the modern world.
Here are two “tricky” questions:
Consider plants, fish, birds, wild animals, and people.
Which ones are “smart” most of the time?
Which ones can be “smart” or “dumb”?
Definitions: Smart, they work to survive and grow. Dumb, they do things that increase the risk of survival and growth.
Which ones can be divided into two parts, and both parts will survive at least for a few days when given water, if needed?
Plants and wild animals are “smart” by the definitions here. Most farm animals are dumb and just want to eat. Some can be pretty smart. Domesticated dogs, cats, and a few other types of pets can be smart.
Only plants can survive being divided into two parts and survive for a few days, given water, if needed. Think of cut flowers, fruits, and vegetables, cuttings of branches to splice with different trees for better root systems.
The bottom line, humans can be destructive, mean, and don’t try to do their best for their survival or the survival of the human race (dumb).
Plants and wild animals aren’t “dumb” in the same way and to the same extent. All plants are tough when competing for sunlight.
What kind of success have plants had all over the planet? Humans?
There are good people. But there are bad, dumb ones! Think of the world since 1900.
Let’s look at an amazing, simple example of a cut flower and sunlight. This is an example of the role that electromagnetic radiation plays in our wonderful world. The cut flower in the photo below retains its smarts after it is cut from its roots. With just the stem and flower, it tracks the energy in
sunlight. It closes up at night. During the day, it opens up beautifully and points directly at the sun. Electromagnetic energy in sunlight and infrared radiation is almost magic, like gravity. We don’t understand it completely.
Pointing up when sunlight is available.
Flower points almost horizontally when direct sunlight is not available.
Electromagnetic radiation from sunlight causes amazing things for life!
The preceding discussion is a simple example of how people act and an introduction to electromagnetic radiation that is essential for heating the planet and supporting life.
This preface leads to an easy, in-depth report about weather and climate, aimed at students, parents, grandparents, and elected officials.
The main report has an introduction, links to three separate reports from Europe, North America, and the rest of the world, and conclusions. There are eight co-authors. They live in Australia, Canada, Greece, Norway, South Africa, and the United States. There are over 400 listed authors or contributing organizations with over 3,000 articles and their hotlinks.
There are two categories of articles:
- Authors claim that man-made carbon dioxide is a pollutant, and the world must stop using fossil fuels and their by-products.
- Authors claim that all carbon dioxide is the same molecule. It is essential for plants, animals, and people. The modern world can only continue if we use fossil fuels and their by-products wisely.
Main Report: Overview of climate science and related topicsFor students, parents, grandparents, and elected officials.
Email comments to: John Shanahan, acorncreek2006@gmail.com
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