Is the current global warming the beginning of an ice age?

Answer 1

No, even if we were progressing naturally into a warming or cooling period, we have screwed the climate up so much, normal cycles are unrecognizable.

The current warming will not lead to an ice age. There are places that will cool instead of warm due to circulation changes (i.e. northern Europe), but we are dramatically warming.

CO2 is 30% higher than it has been for 650,000 years. Methane is 130% greater. These are two of the main pollutants humans put into the atmosphere in excess, and they are two of the primary greenhouse gases.

Look at the 'hockeystick', which shows a dramatic warming since 1950 after a fairly stable climate for 1000 years. In fact, the 10 hottest years in recorded history have all happened since 1990, with 2005 being the hottest, and 2006 is shaping up to maybe break that record.
(see links below)

There has NEVER been an article doubting man's influence on global warming published in a peer-reviewed journal. A recent study of almost 1000 proved that.

Yes, the earth naturally heats and cools, but the rate and amount we are warming now is unprecedented in the recent geologic past. We are doing this, and we must stop it. This is not some political statement or rhetoric. This is science trying to educate a crass, ignorant public of the damage they are doing. The magnitude of temperature increase ALREADY is about 10x that of the 'little ice age' of the middle ages, and rate and amount are only going up.

Just to be clear, glacial and interglacial cycles are mainly controlled by astronomical fluctuations, but we have a detailed record of the last 7 cycles, and what the climate and CO2 is doing now is way different and extreme. The rate of increase is much higher than in the past AND the value itself is much higher.

HI CO2:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4467420.stm
HOCKEY STICK:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5109188.stm
General climate stuff:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3897061.stm

Answer 2

I tend to agree (mostly anyway) with QFL, but...

In fact, the last major temperature dives into glacial maximas (from interglacial) all began with dramatic global warming episodes. The current debate among scientists asks,"to what extent have OUR actions modified the natural warming trend that we should be experiencing?" As QFL points out, there is neither any real debate as to whether or not humans have kicked up the CO2 concentrations, nor if this has altered the planets thermal budget. It certainly has. The issue is trying to predict the impact of this "un-natural" influence.

It's controversial--and all the data just isn't in yet. However, it should be noted that ONE possible, and very reasonable, outcome is that we do eventually crash back into a glacial period. But if we do, it will NOT be like Hollywood's version of things! The geologic record suggests that while these nose dives are very fast, that in human terms, it would take a while--conceivably decades to 100s of years (not a few days). You can, and will, find scientists on both sides of this debate today; which is as it should be.

(One last comment. Be careful about using the term "Ice Age". The geologic record argues that (technically) we're still in the Ice Age, i.e., the Pleistocene Epoch, but are living through the end of an interglacial period...a sort of "summer break" from all the ice. There have been other interglacials besides the current one, all of which are part of the much larger "Ice Age").

Answer 3

Why do you want to know ? You think you'll be around then ? Haven't you heard were are in a warming trend. Put on your Bermuda short and get some iced tea. We could be in the throes of an Ice Age now, but we would not know it because you can only observe it and its processes after the fact.
You question sounds like a Yogi Berraism.