Are we heading for a mini ice age?

[EternalOptimist]

As for the original question, there are lots of interesting ideas floating around about what has its hand on the control knob of the worlds climate. The sun, aerosols, CO2, natural oscillation etc.
Anyone who claims to know for sure is an eejit

so yes, we are headed for an ice age, but when and what will cause it ? who knows

[hyperD]

While we are slogging through a heat wave this week, how about diving into a juicy, cool watermelon recipe?

Ingredients

8 cups (1/2-inch) watermelon cubes
1 1/2 cups ginger ale
1/3 cup water
1 (6-oz.) can frozen limeade concentrate

Preparation

1. Place watermelon cubes in a single layer in an extra-large zip-top plastic freezer bag, and freeze 8 hours. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.

2. Process half each of watermelon, ginger ale, water, and limeade concentrate in a blender until smooth; pour mixture into a pitcher. Repeat procedure with remaining half of ingredients; stir into pitcher, and serve immediately.

[KimberleyChris]

"While we are slogging through a heat wave this week, how about diving into a juicy, cool watermelon recipe?"

Looks good, but they all want a double gin added. Agreed Dodgy??

[DodgyAgent]

Therefore wit = the highest form of sarcasm

Hope you're having a nice weekend over there in the blue corner. All the beast, KC.

I was not being sarcastic (for once )

[KimberleyChris]

I was not being sarcastic (for once )

See, you're just an old pussycat really.

[pjclarke]

As for the original question, there are lots of interesting ideas floating around about what has its hand on the control knob of the worlds climate. The sun, aerosols, CO2, natural oscillation etc. Anyone who claims to know for sure is an eejit

Atmospheric CO2: Principal Control Knob Governing Earth

By three eejits with over 100 published studies between them, in the eejits house journal 'Science'

Discussion at Judith curry's blog Atmospheric CO2: the greenhouse thermostat | Climate Etc.

[KimberleyChris]

Christ, it's like toothache, isn't it?

Going now, cooking steak pie....

[BlasterBates]

Since so much published literature turns out to be wrong I would take it with a pinch of salt, eg the coming ice age in the 1970´s, Hansens predictions (and the list goes on and on).

There is no evidence that the increase in CO2 gas has a measurable influence on climate.

We´ve had a solar maximum over the last 50 or 60 years and the globe warmed slightly, oh surprise surprise.

Pjclarke confidently predicted that 2012 would be a record hot year The temperatures are aproximately 0.3 degrees below normal. As usual he´s made an incorrect prediction, based on what the scientists were saying.

[KimberleyChris]

OK, lets be fair.

If there were NO CO2 in the atmosphere, then the Earth would be permanently locked into a deep ice age from poles to equator, and there would be no vegetation, or probably life at all on it.

So it's not all bolleaux, we do need to be careful, and it's pointless just burning hydrocarbons just for the hell of it. It's just that Politicians have jumped on the 'green taxes' bandwagon so quickly and treated us all as fools.

CO2 does affect climate, but like I said before, there are other contributory causes which are not taxable, but we never hear of them. It's all our fault and we must be penalised.

[BlasterBates]

OK, lets be fair.

If there were NO CO2 in the atmosphere, then the Earth would be permanently locked into a deep ice age from poles to equator, and there would be no vegetation, or probably life at all on it.

So it's not all bolleaux, we do need to be careful, and it's pointless just burning hydrocarbons just for the hell of it. It's just that Politicians have jumped on the 'green taxes' bandwagon so quickly and treated us all as fools.

CO2 does affect climate, but like I said before, there are other contributory causes which are not taxable, but we never hear of them. It's all our fault and we must be penalised.

If that were true wouldn´t you expect the global temperature to have risen a lot more than 0.5 degrees with an increase of 25% i.e. 300 to 400 ppm. If you estrapolate down from 300 ppm to nil assuming the same relation would mean global temps would be lowerd by 1.5 degrees Celsius. This wouldn´t mean an ice age at all. The difference in temperatures to cause an ice age is at least 4 or 5 degrees C and certainly the ice age only covers the temperate regions.

Then of course has CO2 caused this increase. How can it be that CO2 has increased from 360 to 390 with no effect on global temperature if it is so potent. And let us say it is potent, then the fact that the temperature hasn´t increased means there is a mechanism equally as strong that is working against the CO2, which means it is impossible to know what effect has until you´ve understood what mechanisms are at work to prevent temperatures from fluctuating in direct relation to CO2. And we are talking here about massive changes in CO2 with respect to the historical record (i.e. 30 ppm change considering historical levels are 280 and no effect!!!!)

The effect of CO2 is exaggerated (a trace gas at 0.04%), all gases contribute to holding the temperature steady and water vapour probably is the key regulator in the atmosphere.