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This paper from 2004 basically said that the interpretation of the solar data was wrong - there were math errors that even made the data from 1970-1980 wrong. Check this pdf out - I am a virologist, not an astrophysicist, so my ability to critically evaluate the critical evaluation is not exactly what you would call "primetime". But I thought this recalculation pretty much was the nail in the coffin on solar activity a few years ago:

http://stephenschneider.stanford.edu/Publications/PDF_Papers/DamonLaut20...

That raises an important point - the average Joe cannot critically evaluate heavy-duty science - can not even begin to attempt to understand what is going on. So the average Joe is strung around by his unit, not knowing who to believe, but those with the status quo (oil companies, current administration,etc) can induce enough Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt into Joe's mind that Joe will basically go with what he wants to hear, which is "There is no problem, do nothing, go back to your chair and watch Nascar".

We need to stop dumbing-down the US population for political reasons, otherwise we will never be able to compete in the markets of the next generation. Education is critical, especially in science and math. As we fall further behind, we are doomed as a society of idiots, with the rest of the world picking up our slack. No child left behind, indeed.