Simultaneous warming on Earth and Mars suggests that our planet's recent climate changes have a natural—and not a human- induced—cause, according to one scientist's controversial theory.

Earth is currently experiencing rapid warming, which the vast majority of climate scientists says is due to humans pumping huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Mars, too, appears to be enjoying more mild and balmy temperatures.

In 2005 data from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Odyssey missions revealed that the carbon dioxide "ice caps" near Mars's south pole had been diminishing for three summers in a row.

Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of the St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, says the Mars data is evidence that the current global warming on Earth is being caused by changes in the sun.

"The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars," he said....

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070228-mars-warming.html

AL: This is bad, Gorby. Now any idiot can see the temperature rise on earth is solar-related.

MIKHAIL: Nah. Just say it's the Martians abusing their environment. Americans'll buy it, if it's on TV. Tell them you're, uh...you're going to run for President of Mars so you can implement a planet-wide methane tax. You've built up the base for that kind of move.

AL: Yeah. And I could make another movie about it. On my next trip there.

MIKHAIL: You do that, Al. Gotta go.