EBarnacle, here are answers to three of your questions:


Is the atmospheric energy output directly parallel with the rise in solar/cosmic emissions?

          ANS: Perhaps you mean atmospheric energy absorption?

          For practical purposes, ALL the energy that heats the Earth's atomosphere comes from one source: the Sun. Volcanic activity and such are trivial.

Is GW a fact as we know it? Is global temperature rising?

          ANS: The official number from the US government if a rise in the ambiant air temperatue near the Earth's surface has risen 1 degree F in the last 150 years. That is absolutelty trivial and is less change (up or down ) than occurred in most of the last 2000 years.

Do the facts as we know them tell us that we should do what we can to reduce all of the contributing factors?

          ANS: You are correct in noting water vapor. It swamps all other "greenhouse gases". It can approach 5% of the atmosphere by mass. Carbon dioxide is just 365 parts per million and methane gas is just 1.8 parts per billion!