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Which peer-reviewed studies published in reputable journals challenge anthropogenic dominance of recent climate change?
Executive summary
Peer-reviewed literature that questions aspects of attribution or the prominence of anthropogenic drivers is narrow and typically methodological or regional rather than claiming natural causes explain recent global warming; key critiques focus on attribution methods (storyline vs probabilistic) and limits in event-specific claims (e.g., possible overstatement of anthropogenic role in some extreme event attributions) [1] [2]. Major multidisciplinary syntheses and monitoring efforts—from IPCC chapters to NASA, Nature papers and global indicator reports—conclude human activities, especially greenhouse‑gas emissions, are the dominant cause of recent warming [3] [4] [5] [6].
1. What “challenge” looks like in peer‑reviewed journals
Most peer‑reviewed papers that appear to challenge anthropogenic dominance do not deny greenhouse‑gas forcing as the primary driver; instead they critique specific methods, scope, or assumptions used to attribute particular effects (for example, arguing the “storyline” approach to extreme event attribution can overstate human influence in some cases) [1] [2]. These are methodological debates about when and how to attribute single events or regional changes, not wholesale rejections of anthropogenic forcing [1] [2].
2. High‑profile syntheses that affirm anthropogenic dominance
Comprehensive assessments and monitoring papers repeatedly state that human activities are the main cause of observed warming since mid‑20th century: NASA summarizes the consensus that it is “extremely likely” human greenhouse‑gas emissions are dominant [3]; the IPCC’s physical science assessment documents detectable human fingerprints in many variables and concludes anthropogenic forcings are the main driver [4]; recent Nature studies update carbon budgets and show continued anthropogenic emissions pushing CO2 and warming to record levels [5] [6].
3. Examples of peer‑reviewed, critical or skeptical work and what they actually say
Two representative items in the provided results are a critical philosophy‑of‑science article and its open‑access counterpart that question whether certain attribution approaches could overstate anthropogenic effects on specific extreme weather events [2] [1]. Those papers evaluate strengths and weaknesses of probabilistic event attribution vs storyline approaches and caution about interpretation, not asserting that natural variability fully explains modern global warming [2] [1].
4. Where regional or disciplinary nuance appears
Some region‑ or discipline‑specific studies note limits or complexities: studies of China document that while some statistical methods can yield biased quantitative results, multiple methods nevertheless find anthropogenic forcings dominate regional temperature trends [7]. Health‑impact attribution reviews note geographic and topic biases in the literature—meaning some impacts are understudied—again reflecting gaps in coverage rather than a scientific overturning of anthropogenic causation [8].
5. The consensus and why methodological critiques don’t overturn it
Meta‑analyses and institutional statements synthesize many lines of evidence (temperature patterns, radiative forcing, ocean heat uptake, fingerprinting studies) to conclude anthropogenic forcings explain the bulk of recent warming; methodological critiques tend to target how confidently one can attribute single events or narrow impacts, not the overall attribution to humans [3] [4] [9]. Carbon budget and sink studies update magnitudes of sinks and sources but still frame rising CO2 and warming as anthropogenic outcomes of fossil‑fuel and land‑use emissions [5].
6. Broader social and political context around “skeptic” publications
Reporting and qualitative research show public and political skepticism exists and that some voices and outlets amplify doubts—blogs and opinion pieces appear alongside peer‑reviewed critiques—but systematic social‑science work finds ideological and identity factors often explain rejection of mainstream findings [10] [11] [12] [13]. This context matters because it shapes which studies get attention and how methodological critiques are framed in public debate [11] [13].
7. How to read claims that “peer‑reviewed studies challenge anthropogenic dominance”
Available sources show most peer‑reviewed challenges are narrow, methodological, or regional (e.g., event attribution or proxy definitions) rather than comprehensive contradictions of anthropogenic causation [1] [2]. Major, interdisciplinary syntheses and monitoring reports—IPCC, NASA, Nature, and global indicators—continue to characterize human greenhouse‑gas emissions as the dominant driver of recent global warming [4] [3] [5] [6].
Limitations: this answer uses only the search results you provided; I do not claim to have surveyed the entire literature beyond those sources. If you want, I can compile a short annotated list of the specific peer‑reviewed papers cited in your results (e.g., the attribution‑methods critiques, the Nature carbon‑sink paper, IPCC chapter references) with brief summaries of each.