Forget global warming, ‘Little Ice Age’ to begin in 10 years
Global warming may mean beachfront property in Macon someday, but the Earth may have to go through a cold spell first.
Polar bears would have had plenty to eat if they'd made it to London during the late 1600s.
Fox Nation sums up the complicated science with this low-key headline: Global Warming Be Damned, We Might Be Headed for a Mini Ice Age
According to the pocket-protector crowd at the annual meeting of the solar physics division of the American Astronomical Society, the sun, due to reduced sunspot activity, is going to be a bit cooler soon.
When? Maybe as soon as 2021, or never.
How much cooler will the Earth get if sunspot activity decreases? No one knows exactly, but probably a fraction of a degree Celsius, which probably isn’t enough to lure another NHL franchise to Atlanta.
But, the last time such a thing happened, in the late 17th Century, the good folks of London were ice skating on the Thames and villages in the Swiss Alps were destroyed by expanding glaciers.
Wired Magazine throws ice water on the heated discussion with this exciting headline: Sunspot Drop Won’t Cause Global Cooling
At most, reduced sunspots will offset rising global temperatures for a few years, perhaps a couple decades, said NASA climatologist David Rind in the Wired article.
“To point to this as something that could in any way ameliorate greenhouse gas warming is folly,” said climatologist Michael Mann of Penn State University.
I guess I’ll keep the snow skis in the attic.
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117 comments Add your comment
Funny
June 16th, 2011
3:03 pm
GreatATLGuy:
You are having a bad day. Go outside and shut down the computer.
UGA 1999
June 16th, 2011
3:04 pm
Great…..if I have to explain the word “baffoon”……there is no need to extend this conversation.
Darryl
June 16th, 2011
3:26 pm
Observer hope you are on the next shuttle outta here. you are an inhumane alien
itpdude
June 16th, 2011
3:50 pm
It’s funny how a bunch of people who barely made it through high school think they know more than the overwhelming number of scientists who believe global warming is real. Amazing, actually.
Hey dummies, get back to flipping burgers and diddling your kin in your trailers and leave the more advanced stuff to the educated people of the world. Kthanksbye.
Ted
June 16th, 2011
4:56 pm
I like the idea of less government spending and lower taxes.
I like the idea of a strong military. I have voted for Republicans in the past. But there’s a few hot-button issues I have when it comes to politics. One is separation of church and state. Another is protecting the environment. Any candidate that comes out and denies the science behind climate change will not have my vote, period.
Rob Woodall wants you to keep paying for his healthcare, while you pay for your own healthcare, and help your elderly parents pay their healthcare
June 16th, 2011
5:14 pm
Policy-makers and the public who are not members of the relevant research community have had to form opinions about the reality of global climate change on the basis of often conflicting descriptions provided by the media regarding the level of scientific certainty attached to studies of climate. In this Essay, Oreskes analyzes the existing scientific literature to show that there is a robust consensus that anthropogenic global climate change is occurring. Thus, despite claims sometimes made by some groups that there is not good evidence that Earth’s climate is being affected by human activities, the scientific community is in overwhelming agreement that such evidence is clear and persuasive.
Rob Woodall's mommy and daddy bought his healthcare, now his Uncle Sam pays for it.
June 16th, 2011
5:22 pm
Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change
The first half of the Review focuses on the impacts and risks arising from uncontrolled climate change, and on the costs and opportunities associated with action to tackle it. A sound understanding of the economics of risk is critical here. The Review emphasises that economic models over timescales of centuries do not offer precise forecasts – but they are an important way to illustrate the scale of effects we might see. The Review finds that all countries will be affected by climate change, but it is the poorest countries that will suffer earliest and most.
… the Review calculates that the dangers of unabated climate change would be equivalent to at least 5% of GDP each year.
… the dangers could be equivalent to 20% of GDP or more.
…In contrast, the costs of action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change can be limited to around 1% of global GDP each year.
…People would pay a little more for carbon-intensive goods, but our economies could continue to grow strongly.
….Emerging schemes that allow people to trade reductions in CO2 have demonstrated that there are many opportunities to cut emissions for less than $25 a tonne. In other words, reducing emissions will make us better off.
…According to one measure, the benefits over time of actions to shift the world onto a low-carbon path could be in the order of $2.5 trillion each year.
The shift to a low-carbon economy will also bring huge opportunities. Markets for low-carbon technologies will be worth at least $500bn, and perhaps much more, by 2050 if the world acts on the scale required. Tackling climate change is the pro-growth strategy; ignoring it will ultimately undermine economic growth.
Rob Woodall's mommy and daddy bought his healthcare, now his Uncle Sam pays for it.
June 16th, 2011
5:23 pm
The shift to a low-carbon economy will also bring huge opportunities. Markets for low-carbon technologies will be worth at least $500bn, and perhaps much more, by 2050 if the world acts on the scale required. Tackling climate change is the pro-growth strategy; ignoring it will ultimately undermine economic growth.
Hey Knuckleheads....this is why we need to care about global warming
June 16th, 2011
5:26 pm
Markets for low-carbon technologies will be worth at least $500bn
Tackling climate change is the pro-growth strategy; ignoring it will ultimately undermine economic growth.
Florida Guy
June 16th, 2011
5:40 pm
Why worry?? Its just our climate, so what’s there to worry about. Let’s get back to American Idol and Wii. hahahahahahaha. We are so dumb.