Sunday, January 29, 2012

Uh-oh!

Fro those in the lower 48 who are bemoaning the mild winter we have been enjoying (so far!), there is this cautionary tale from the UK Daily Mail :

Forget global warming - it's Cycle 25 we need to worry about (and if NASA scientists are right the Thames will be freezing over again)

The supposed ‘consensus’ on man-made global warming is facing an inconvenient challenge after the release of new temperature data showing the planet has not warmed for the past 15 years.

The figures suggest that we could even be heading for a mini ice age to rival the 70-year temperature drop that saw frost fairs held on the Thames in the 17th Century.

***

According to a paper issued last week by the Met Office, there is a 92 per cent chance that both Cycle 25 and those taking place in the following decades will be as weak as, or weaker than, the ‘Dalton minimum’ of 1790 to 1830. In this period, named after the meteorologist John Dalton, average temperatures in parts of Europe fell by 2C.

However, it is also possible that the new solar energy slump could be as deep as the ‘Maunder minimum’ (after astronomer Edward Maunder), between 1645 and 1715 in the coldest part of the ‘Little Ice Age’ when, as well as the Thames frost fairs, the canals of Holland froze solid.


Can you say "Hans Brinker"?

This is NOT the Climate Change we were looking for.

Go on and read the whole thing, as they say, but have a warm drink handy while you do.

2 comments:

Rev. Paul said...

Scientists/climatologists first predicted this back in the 1970s, but quickly figured out they couldn't generate annual grants by talking about how cold it will be. Voila! global warming was born.

You want me to recommend a good parka? :)

joated said...

I was teaching Earth Science at the time and paying close attention to what was being discussed in places like the NY Times, Time, Newsweek, National Geographic, etc. None of them seemed to mention the energy output of the Sun.

The scientists involved in studying the sun today are looking below the surface, beyond the sunspots, to the energy being produced deep down below.

And I hope they are wrong.

Parka? The secret to staying warm is layering!