The threat from global warming has been dubbed the “greatest challenge of our times.” But since global warming hasn’t been occurring as predicted, more and more scientists merely talk about climate change. Has the climate changed through the centuries? Of course it has. But the changes in the past had little or nothing to do with human activity. What about the present?

The global economy from 1998 to 2012 has more than doubled in size (from $30 trillion in GDP to $71 trillion). During that same period of time, the world has put more than 100 billion tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. If the predictions about carbon fuels and global warming are correct, we should have seen a significant increase in the world temperatures. Global surface temperatures have remained essentially flat during that period of time.

The latest report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change doesn’t say much about the fact that temperatures haven’t changed much. There are lots of warning about shrinking ice sheets and rising sea levels. It makes the striking claim that the “warming of the climate system is unequivocal.”

The report does bring some sanity to the discussion. For years we have heard pundits and fear mongers claim that droughts and hurricanes are due to global warming. The report acknowledges that there is little evidence those are significantly influenced by climate change. And it is worth noting that the number and severity of hurricanes has been down of late.

It is also worth asking the theoretical question: What if human activity was causing significant global warming? As I have explained in previous commentaries, the solutions put forward by politicians (carbon tax, cap and trade, etc.) would have essentially no impact on the environment but a major negative impact on the economy. Fortunately the scientific evidence that might be used to justify such wrong-headed solutions isn’t there. I’m Kerby Anderson, and that’s my point of view.