Britain to Enter New Ice Age

[Jas]

I got this article (http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/story.jsp?story=484490) sent to me, and I was wondering if there was anything to it...My understanding of an ice age is that they're really only ten degrees or so cooler on average, so that even if it was true, it wouldn't be quite the doom and gloom that's being predicted. I haven't really found much on it though. Is there anyone who knows more about this?

[Goshawk]

Well, the main thing you need to know is that this is old news.

Here's a similar article. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,872590,00.html)
The snowfalls of the past week may be just a taster of what is to come, if the latest predictions from scientists are correct. The amount of ice melting from the surface of the Greenland ice sheet broke all known records last year, threatening a rapid rise in sea levels and a return of very cold winters to Britain because of a slowing down in the Gulf Stream.But go back and look at the date: January 11, 2003.

Here's another one, spawned by a TV special on the subject, from November, 2003. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,12374,1083419,00.html)If you can remember back to the bitter winters of the late 1970s and early 80s you might also recall that there was much discussion in scientific circles at the time about whether or not the freezing winter conditions were a portent of a new ice age...
Every time it gets unusually cold, people start talking about a New Ice Age. And every time it gets unusually hot, people start talking about Global Warming.

Don't panic just yet. ;) You're right, "a new ice age" doesn't mean the UK would be plunged into a Siberian deep freeze. A "new ice age" in Britain would simply be "colder than it is now", and, judging by the whining currently emanating from there (whatever happened to the "stiff upper lip"? :D ) it apparently doesn't have to be very cold to qualify as a "new ice age" for Britons. :p

oooooh, it's minus 7 degrees C in Scotland, (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3432373.stm) better call for a humanitarian airlift and start evacuating!

"Arctic weather"? Excuse me?

Buncha wusses. * snerk * :p

[Andonyx]

Originally posted by Jas
I got this article (http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/story.jsp?story=484490) sent to me, and I was wondering if there was anything to it...My understanding of an ice age is that they're really only ten degrees or so cooler on average, so that even if it was true, it wouldn't be quite the doom and gloom that's being predicted. I haven't really found much on it though. Is there anyone who knows more about this?

While I have no idea what the validity of this prediction might be, I can tell you that a ten degree drop in average temperature for a region as large as the UK would have temporarily catastrophic consequences.

Even though that doesn't seem like much that's enough to either shift the growing cycles, or utterly destroy a huge number of crops gorwn for food and livestock throughout the region. So much so that it could make the potato famine look like a mild fast.

In addition to the effect of the lack of viable grain and plants for animals to feed on, many animals will find their places in the UK now uninhabitable. That will effects migratory patterns, food-chains, mating habits, etc. etc.

Animals cannot adapt well to such short term drastic changes in their environment and so will move or die out. There may be a few that could adapt, and they would have an advantage that makes them dominant in that environment, but in so doing the picture of that environment and its food chain will change irrevocably.

Such a rapid change would theoretically also precipitate far more extremes of weather. Yes there may be far more large snow storms, but also hurricanes, possibly monsoons, and probably more severe periods of drought in the summers.

This will be a temporary effect until the climate and the environment adapt to each other, but it will be a severe change.

Make no mistake. 10 Degrees average temperature change is no laughing matter. But it also seems extraordinarily unlikely. That's not to say such changes haven't happened in the past, they have, but they have never happened as rapidly as this idea claims it will...

So the ultimate effect remains to be seen.

[Jon_in_london]

It used to get so cold that the Thames would freeze over, people would set up markets on the river.... compare that to recent winters where you are lucky to get a thin film of ice over the duck pond...........

As I said before;

It will not snow in London
Its far too damned afraid
Of snowing on the Regent's park
And on Horse Guard's Parade.

[Jas]

Thank for the responses. I was pretty sure it was crap, because of it's source (the girl who send these things to me, usually sends some pretty interesting stuff, though it's usually about the CIA). I jsut couldn't find anything on it.

I realize that a ten degree drop is significan with regards to flora and fauna, I should has added "as opposed to the artic tundra". Sorry.

[DaChew]

Thank for the responses. I was pretty sure it was crap, because of it's source (the girl who send these things to me, usually sends some pretty interesting stuff, though it's usually about the CIA).

Don't just shake it off as crap. Remember, in this forum there is never a bad reason to start a Global Warming war...er....discussion. Here watch:

I INSIST THAT THIS STORY NOW PROVES BEYOND ANY SHADOW OF DOUBT THAT THE GLOBAL WARMING THEORY IS COMPLETE FANTASY AND LIES!

OK, now duck down.

[Hamish]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london
It used to get so cold that the Thames would freeze over, people would set up markets on the river.... compare that to recent winters where you are lucky to get a thin film of ice over the duck pond...........


Although it should be noted that the Victorians ( :rolleyes: ) and their Thames engineering maybe had something to do with the reason that the Thames doesn't freeze anymore. The river is somewhat deeper and faster than it was before the Embankment went up.

I don't think they had much to do with your duck pond though.

[tracer]

The amount of ice melting from the surface of the Greenland ice sheet broke all known records last year, threatening a rapid rise in sea levels and a return of very cold winters to Britain because of a slowing down in the Gulf Stream.
But if that's the case, the slowed-down Gulf stream should trigger global cooling, which should cause more ocean water to re-freeze, which should lower sea levels, which should speed up the Gulf steam, which should trigger warming?

(I knew it. Global Warming was caused by the Ice Age!)

[EdipisReks]

can we have one in ohio, too? the summers are way to farking hot.

[epepke]

Originally posted by DaChew
I INSIST THAT THIS STORY NOW PROVES BEYOND ANY SHADOW OF DOUBT THAT THE GLOBAL WARMING THEORY IS COMPLETE FANTASY AND LIES!

OK, now duck down.

Heh. Of course, there are also people who will insist that it's proof positive of global warming.

Actually, if you look at long-term trends, shown from ice cores and dendritic analysis, all of human history seems to have occurred within a period of warm climate that seems unusually long.

Also, there was such a thing as the Little Ice Age, from the 14th through the 19th centuries, a cold period with low, steady levels of carbon dioxide. Temperature was something like 1 to 2 C cooler than it is now.

Before that was the Medieval Warm Period. During that period, grapes were grown about 300 miles north of their current limits. The MWP has been credited for some of the successes of the Vikings.

[EdipisReks]

from what i've read about ice core research, it wasn't that long ago that you would have 10 degree differences year to year. i imagine that we are simply sliding back into a period of extreme temperature change. fortunately, we have something more than bon fires and fur now.

[Zep]

HEADLINE: Britain to Enter New Ice Age!

Odds are they will lose THIS contest too...

[richardm]

Originally posted by Zep
HEADLINE: Britain to Enter New Ice Age!

Odds are they will lose THIS contest too...

Unlike, say, a recent rugby tournament ;)

[Zep]

Originally posted by richardm
Unlike, say, a recent rugby tournament ;) OK, OK, but what about World Idol...and Eurovision...and we beat you at soccer last time anyway, nyah nyah ni nyah nyah! :D

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Zep
OK, OK, but what about World Idol...and Eurovision...and we beat you at soccer last time anyway, nyah nyah ni nyah nyah! :D

Heh, world idol and eurovision? Thats like saying we beat you in belly-button picking and zit-squeezing! hardly anything to shout about.

[CapelDodger]

from DaChew:
Remember, in this forum there is never a bad reason to start a Global Warming war...er....discussion.
Sorry I'm late. I gather that John Daly is dead. Has anything been heard from Diamond/Titanpoint recently? I've long suspected that all three are/were the same person. I could be proven wrong now.

from tracer:
But if that's the case, the slowed-down Gulf stream should trigger global cooling ...
The cooling is in the North Atlantic, which is not the world. It's just where de white folk come from, and is therefore often regarded as such. If the heat isn't coming up the Atlantic it's going somewhere else or staying put. The only global effects will be from feedbacks like extra snow/ice cover and changes in cloud formation and rainfall. One probable effect is lower snowfall over Greenland since there will be less evaporation from colder northern waters. The Polar Sea will be almost unaffected in all likelihood.

from epepke:
Before that was the Medieval Warm Period. During that period, grapes were grown about 300 miles north of their current limits. The MWP has been credited for some of the successes of the Vikings.
I think you've projected changes in English viticulture onto a European canvas. It was gradually abandoned in England after the Norman conquest but that was because French wines became the fashion rather than the German wines the Anglo-Saxons made. (William the Bastard's "harrying of the north" probably had it's effect on the northern industry.) Wine production in Germany doesn't seem to have gone through any great changes in that period. As to the successes of the Vikings - if we're referring to the Scandinavians, when did the successes stop? The last remnants of the freebooting style (such as the Dubliners) were cleared up by the established states around the North Sea, but those states were in the main Scandinavian constructions themselves. The first great example being Canute's North Sea Empire (sadly neglected in popular history). When it comes to the Greenland venture, that was based on walrus ivory, believe it or not, and once the walrus were wiped out there was no good reason to stay. I've seen the place on Discovery Channel and believe me, No Good Reason.

[Brian the Snail]

Originally posted by CapelDodger

Sorry I'm late. I gather that John Daly is dead. Has anything been heard from Diamond/Titanpoint recently? I've long suspected that all three are/were the same person. I could be proven wrong now.

Sorry to do this, but looks like you're wrong on the John Daly connection. Either that, or John Edward is onto something...

http://groups.google.it/groups?dq=&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=7c642197.0401290143.70045b04%40posting.google .com

But of course, we might also get the pleasure of Diamond/Titanpoint's company here as well, so he can confirm it himself with his usual charming persona. If you're really lucky, he might call you a racist as well.

[CapelDodger]

from Brian the Snail:
Sorry to do this, but looks like you're wrong on the John Daly connection. Either that, or John Edward is onto something...
Of course, he may have faked his own death ...