Could the Sun’s role in the global warming debate be underestimated?  Well according to some physicists at Duke University, it appears that much of the warming that has taken place over the past few decades could be directly attributable to solar activity.  This is a surprising finding, as many have pinned virtually all of the warming to the output of human greenhouse gas emissions.  But the scientists, examining sun spot activity and using new statistical methods which measure the atmosphere’s response to solar heating, suggest that the sun may be accountable for as much as 30 percent of the warming which has taken place over the past two decades.  This new Sun study will likely cause a  burn for many proponents of the Kyoto global warming treaty.