As always, I’ll start with the notion of “I’ll believe it when it happens”. It will happen at some point, most likely within the next 100-200 years, based on the history of the Holocene
(BBC) It’s known by climatologists as the ‘Little Ice Age’, a period in the 1600s when harsh winters across the UK and Europe were often severe.
The severe cold went hand in hand with an exceptionally inactive sun, and was called the Maunder solar minimum.
Now a leading scientist from Reading University has told me that the current rate of decline in solar activity is such that there’s a real risk of seeing a return of such conditions.
I’ve been to see Professor Mike Lockwood to take a look at the work he has been conducting into the possible link between solar activity and climate patterns.
According to Professor Lockwood the late 20th century was a period when the sun was unusually active and a so called ‘grand maximum’ occurred around 1985.
Since then the sun has been getting quieter.
This could mean a return to those conditions. It could mean a return to the conditions of the mid 20th century, which had media and science types worried about a return to another ice age. I seriously doubt the Earth is headed into another ice age any time soon.
Of course, if the Earth does go into a little dip (like the 40’s-70’s) or one like the cool periods throughout the Holocene, Warmists will blame it on Mankind’s use of fossil fuels.
