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Atmospheric CO₂ (Mauna Loa) vs US Exports

Atmospheric CO₂ (Mauna Loa) and US Exports correlate at r = +0.81 over 55 years (1970–2024), p < 0.0001. With the time trend removed, r = -0.40. Direction flips without the trend.

Verdict: Direction flips without the trend. The raw correlation is 0.81, but once each series' time trend is removed it becomes -0.40. The year-to-year movements run the opposite way to the long-run trends, so the headline number is misleading.

Pearson r
+0.81
p-value
< 0.0001
Years compared (n)
55 (1970–2024)
95% confidence interval
0.70 to 0.89
Correlation with the time trend removed
-0.40

Sources

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Correlation does not imply causation. How the verdict is worked out.