[philwelch]

"Water vapor is responsible for 95% of the greenhouse effect, yet somehow it is never brought up in global warming discussions. Why is this?"

Because the water vapor isn't what's increasing, except as an effect of the warming trend caused by higher CO2 concentration.

"I subscribe to the theory of giant ball of nuclear fire leads to warmer temperatures -> increase in ocean temperatures -> release of dissolved CO2 & increase in water vapor -> greater greenhouse effect"

Care to explain why the sun progressively got hotter in a way that strongly correlates with the release of CO2 since the Industrial Revolution?