Climate change - alternative theories

There are also alternative theories given by other scientists and commentators explaining the observations we are seeing. These people are often referred to as 'climate change sceptics' - they believe that humans are not to blame for the rise in global temperatures and that we are experiencing part of a natural cycle.

Those who debate climate change focus broadly on one of three areas:

• Are humans responsible for the warming trend?
• What impact will more warming have on the planet?
• Can anything be done about it?

One alternative theory - the influence of cosmic rays

One alternative theory is that the climate is governed by atomic particles coming from exploded stars. The Danish National Space Centre in Copenhagen insists there is a possible link between the influences of cosmic rays on the earth's climate and cloud formation ... find out more.

Other theories

Alternative theories abound:

• The website http://www.skepticalscience.com provides a range of arguments put forward by climate change sceptics.
• Find out more about alternative theories by searching for terms such as 'climate change' + 'ice age' or 'theory' using your favourite search engine. (Note: The + symbol allows you to search for information that contains two or more specific terms.)

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