Global Warming May Trigger Mini-Ice Age

Further information on the consequences of global warming have arisen from a surprising source. Fortune is running an article on how global warming could trigger a massive climate shift in the Northern Hemisphere. According to the article: 'Global warming, rather than causing gradual, centuries-spanning change, may be pushing the climate to a tipping point.' and that 'abrupt climate change may well occur in the not-too-distant future'. One of the consequences of this climate shift might be an ice age, ranging from the severe "Younger Dryas" to the lesser "Little Ice Age", depending on how the North Atlantic "great conveyor" is affected. Such an ice-age would produce huge political upheavals, which are also discussed in the article.

Comments

Ice ages are cyclic like business cycles

[leoaugust]

Here is a nice page from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Ice Ages, that briefly touches upon the cyclicity of Ice Ages. I think they are a little like the business cycles, just a little bit longer.

From the website:

In 1867, James Croll, a self-taught astronomer, compiled information from a variety of sources -- including Isaac Newton's Theory of Radiant Energy. His work led to the development of a sound astronomical theory supporting the idea of cyclic ice ages. Croll's goal was to geologically predict when ice ages would occur and to explain the mechanism that caused them.

If the artists and designers want a heads-up, in case we do end up back in an ice age rather abruptly , here (ice age art) is a good site to brush up on.

Apples to watermelons

[Tau Zero]

You're comparing a chaotic system (the weather) with what appears to be a reasonably stable system, albeit with oscillations like El Nino (the climate). Climate is the "average" of weather, so the fact that you cannot predict exactly when the next warm front is going to dump a bunch of freezing rain on you does not mean that you can't project when the ground is going to be up to planting temperature or when your first killing frost will be. The former is an issue for daily conversation, the latter is of vital importance to agriculture in the temperate zone.