Does anyone who knows the history of science not see a problem with this? Does any body see the glaring problem there? Doesn't that sound familiar?
A is true. B is true. Therefore A caused B.
See.... I could have sworn..... just sworn that the phrase "Correlation does not equal causation" was written back in the 1880s, and yet here we are 2014, and people are still boldly claiming that it really does.
Yeah.... I gotta give you credit for actually backing up your use of "Correlation doesn't prove causation" with something.
The thing is this; that's what is said to undergrad students and the general public because they need to learn to keep it in mind.
Correlation is required for causality as well. So when correlation is found, it isn't dismissed readily either. And everybody with sound science skills and education is well aware of how to interpret coorelation.
I suppose the response is "No shit, Sherlock"!
Once solid correlation is found, that independent variable is kept in the model, even as other variables are added. Finding a second potentially causal factor isn't reason to throw out the first. Finding another coorelation doesn't prove the first isn't causal either.
As more factors are found, they all get tested as part of a multivariate analysis. Combinations of variables are tested to find the best fit.
Causality is determined seperately by isolating the factor and demonstrating it to be causal, like in the lab. We already know CO2 is causal. That's the easy part. Every highschool science teacher can to that demo, and most probably have.
And we also already know how much CO2 is being put into the atmosphere. We can just add that up amd get a reasonable " ball park" figure.
The isotope thing is just another nail in the coffin.
Causality isn't the issue. The issue is how bad will it get.
Surely you must know you and I are years behind and just playing catch up.