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There is no absolutely certain knowledge of anything, not even mathematical propositions. It may be that two and two do not add up to four. It just seems that way to us because we are all hopelessly insane.
People determined to deny the undeniable may place an impossible burden of proof on those who assert what they wish to deny. Disprove any possible alternative, no matter how speculative, to what you claim is true.
Those of us who claim that global warming is anthropogenic cannot prove, as a matter of absolute certainty, that it is not due to sunspots. No one can prove or disprove anything as a matter of absolute certainty. We cannot prove that global warming is not caused by astrological influences, or by the exercise of psychic powers by malicious extraterrestrials.
The case for anthropogenic global warming is not based on speculation. It is based on established science and solid empirical data. Attributing global warming to sunspots is pure speculation. It is not reasonable to reject solid science based on pure speculation.
Imagine it is December 8, 1941 and we are U.S. Senators considering a declaration of war. Should we decline to vote for such a declaration because no one can disprove the following possibilities?:
1. The attack on Pearl Harbor didn’t happen. The reports that it did are all lies. The films and photographs are clever forgeries, prepared by Hollywood technicians.
2. The attack happened, but the Japanese didn’t do it. It was hawks in the U.S. military pretending to be Japanese.
3. The attack happened, but the British did it. They want to bring us into the war to help them defeat their enemies.
4. The attackers were Japanese but they were rogue elements in the Japanese military acting without authorization. Declaring war would be counterproductive, as it would force the Japanese to close ranks against us.
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