THE NEXT ICE AGE - NOW!

.
Quiet Sun Hints at Next Little Ice Age - So let’s preach global warming
National Geographic would call an ice age a "localized cooling" event __________________

1
4 May 09 - An article today in National Geographic News features Mike Lockwood, a solar terrestrial physicist at the University of Southampton in the U.K, and other researchers who are engaged in what they call "preemptive denial" about a solar minimum leading to global cooling.

“Even if the current solar lull is the beginning of a prolonged quiet, the scientists say, the star's effects on climate will pale in contrast with the influence of human-made greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2).

"I think you have to bear in mind that the CO2 is a good 50 to 60 percent higher than normal, whereas the decline in solar output is a few hundredths of one percent down," Lockwood said. "I think that helps keep it in perspective."

Don’t worry – It will only be “local cooling”

The period of no sunspots - known as the Maunder Minimum - corresponded to a profound lull in sunspots, the article admits, but it should affect only localized areas.

“If the sun gain sinks into a similar depression," the article continues, "at least one preliminary model has suggested that cool spots could crop up in regions of Europe, the United States, and Siberia.” (Italics mine)

"During that event [the Maunder Minimum], many parts of the world were not affected at all, said Jeffrey Hall, an astronomer and associate director at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona."

             Yeah. It’s just a localized event. Canada, Siberia, and Northern
             Europe may be buried beneath the ice, but areas south of the ice
             sheets will only be a tad colder – so (pat, pat) don’t worry your
             little head about it.

             During the very depths of the last ice age, temperatures in the
             equatorial rain forest belt remained almost identical to today,
             so I guess, even if a major ice age should strike, that we should
             still be more concerned about CO2.

            I think National Geographic would call an ice age a "localized
            cooling" event.

See entire article by Anne Minard
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/05/090504-sun-global-cooling_2.html
Thanks to Steven Woodcock, B. Pojedinec, and Eric Gl for this link