Scafetta, N

http://www.desmogblog.com/nicola-scafetta

Nicola Scafetta

Credentials

• PhD in Physics from the University of North Texas.
• Research scientist at Duke University Physics Department.

Source:CV (.pdf) at Duke University.

Background 

Nicola Scafetta is a research scientist at Duke University Physics Department. Scafetta is known for proposing a phenomenological theory of climate change, claiming that oscillations induced by solar changes and other astronomical influences can affect climate.

According to his theory, one which he presented to the EPA in a presentation titled "Climate Change and its Causes, a Discussion about some Key Issues," we would be facing an imminent cooling period. However, Scafetta's theory has been disputed by other scientists.

Stance on Climate Change 

• "At least 60% of the warming of the Earth observed since 1970 appears to be induced by natural cycles which are present in the solar system."

Source: Profile at Duke University.

Key Quotes 

"If climate is as sensitive to solar changes as the above phenomenological findings suggest, the current anthropogenic contribution to global warming is significantly overestimated."

Source:"Is climate sensitive to solar variability?" (.pdf) Physics Today (*Published in the "Opinion" section). March 2008. Nicola Scafetta and Bruce J. West.

Key Deeds 

June 2011

Confirmed speaker at the Heartland Institute's Sixth Internatinal Conference on Climate Change. 

February 26, 2009

When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency called for alternative views on climate change, three skeptics presented: Richard Lindzen, Jean Lind and Nicola Scafetta.

In his presentation, Scafetta suggests that "a significant portion of climate change is natural and linked to changes of solar activity."and also discusses "the possibility of an imminent global cooling."

His findings have circulated through the skeptical science community, and on skeptical blogs such as WUWT (Watts Up With That). 

December 2006

Scafetta was the co-author of "Phenomenological solar signature in 400 years of reconstructed Northern Hemisphere temperature," a paper widely quoted by climate skeptics. 

Many researchers (.pdf) in the field have viewed Scafetta's claims as being incorrect, and his papers have also been debunked by scientists at *RealClimate*.  

It appears that Scafettarefused to release the code to the software he used in this study. This meant that his results could not be replicated by climate scientists.

Affiliations 

• Science and Public Policy Institute (SPPI) - Scafetta published his paper, "Climate Change and Its Causes" (.pdf) with the SPPI. The paper covered primarily the same information that Scafetta presented during his seminar at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Publications

• "Phenomenological solar signature in 400 years of reconstructed Northern Hemisphere temperature record." Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 33, L17718, 5 PP. Dec 2006.
• "Climate Change Reconsidered: The Report of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC)” (Contributing author). 2009. Editors S. Fred Singer and Craig Idso. Chicago, IL: The Heartland Institute.
• "Is climate sensitive to solar variability?" (.pdf) Physics Today (*Published in the "Opinion" section). March 2008. Nicola Scafetta and Bruce J. West.
• "Climate Change and Its Causes" (.pdf). Science and Public Policy Institute original paper. March 18, 2010.
• Disrupted Networks: from physics to climate change. Bruce J. West and Nicola Scafetta, World Scientific Publishing Company (2010).