Are we going through Global Warming or A New Ice Age?

Question

I saw an interesting theory on the science channel the other night that all ice ages were preceded by a climate warming. Have we already been through most of our global warming and now entering the new ice age?

I don't know about that Bob I agree man has probably contributed greatly and we still have to fix our part of it but you can't rule out cycles that our planet goes through.

Answer 1

Who know.....But I am just going to say with conviction this has been the strangest winter I have ever seen....

Answer 2

No. All the curves involved in global warming are going up very fast. This isn't going to magically go away, we need to do something (actually a whole lot) about it. While the critics engage in unsupported speculation, there's tons of peer reviewed data here:

http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf

That's the 21 page summary. Expect a lot more solid data in the 1600 page final report.

Since simply does not get any better than this, which is why these educated and influential people are worried.

"The science of global warming is clear. We know enough to act now. We must act now."

James Rogers, CEO of Charlotte-based Duke Energy.

"The overwhelming majority of atmospheric scientists around the world and our own National Academy of Sciences are in essential agreement on the facts of global warming and the significant contribution of human activity to that trend."

Russell E. Train, former environmental official under Presidents Nixon and Ford

"Global warming is already starting, and there's going to be more of it. I think there is still time to deal with global warming, but we need to act soon. Humans now control global climate, for better or worse."

James Hansen, Ph.D. climate scientist, NASA

"By mid-century, millions more poor children around the world are likely to face displacement, malnourishment, disease and even starvation unless all countries take action now to slow global warming."

Michael Oppenheimer, professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University

"We simply must do everything we can in our power to slow down global warming before it is too late. The science is clear. The global warming debate is over."

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican, Governor, California

"Our nation has both an obligation and self-interest in facing head-on the serious environmental, economic and national security threat posed by global warming."

John McCain, Republican, Senator, Arizona

"These technologies will help us become better stewards of the environment - and they will help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change."

President George Bush

Answer 3

There is considerable evidence that previous ice ages have been preceded by periods of global warming similar to what is beginning now. The time frame for these changes is hundreds of thousands of years, so the present occupants of this planet will not know about it. Unfortunately for us cool-climate people of European origins, the present period of warming is just beginning. Our children and grandchildren will live to see really serious changes in world climate, and much of it will not be fun.

Answer 4

Unfortunately, we are going through a global warming caused by our overuse of fossile fuels and our over population of our planet.
Politics plays major role in our global warming as well with governments willing or unwilling to try other ways to run businesses and homes with renewable fuels or earmark additional funds for research and development for new energy
resources.

Answer 5

We are in fact exiting from a 400 year mini Ice Age. We are neither entering a period of extreme global warming, nor headed for glaciers and wooly mammoths.

Answer 6

I don't know I have heard both sides of this story.I might be hard to tell right now so we'll just have to wait and see.I hope we are headed to neither but sometimes you just can't have your cake and eat it too.