How can the current progress of the environment lead to the next Ice Age?

Question

I am writing a science fiction short story for my class, and since the setting is in a world with somewhat eternal winter, I need to connect today with the next Ice Age.

Answer 1

I've actually heard recently during a lecture by an atmospheric scientist that scientists believe another Ice Age would not be able to occur so long as humans remain on Earth. Basically, the human race would have to go extinct for an Ice Age to occur.

This mostly is due to the amount of carbon dioxide that humans are pouring into the atmosphere. Apparently, the greenhouse effect has been enhanced enough that a mass cooling would be a near impossibility. The only way an Ice Age could occur would be if no more carbon were released into the atmosphere, and were allowed to dissipate. But, the only way that would happen if humans weren't around.

Sorry if that ruins your story. But I guess it's science fiction for a reason...

Answer 2

You can go back to the concensus of scientists in the 1970's. Back then, all the climatologists agreed that there was incontrovertible proof that we were quickly sliding back into another ice age, based on the fact that global temperatures had been steadily falling since 1950.
Mankind was to blame for all of this, of course. We were putting so much pollution in the air that the aerosols and particulates were blocking out sunlight, and combined with the natural ice age cycles we were doomed. Interestingly, they also were convinced that ocean levels would rise as a result -- amazing how we are living in the age of minimum ocean levels, no matter which way the global temperatures go, huh?
So here's the spin on your story: mankind continues to pollute, but they also make a concerted effort to remove all the green house gases from the atmosphere, and the planet freezes over. Scientifically, it's a pile of bunk, but don't let bunk get in the way of a good story.

Answer 3

in your story say that the current warming will cause the gulf stream to move further south or collapse altogether and allow colder air from the northern region to move down, cooling the northern states causing an ice age. I think there was a movie called Day after tomorrow or something like that (I refuse to watch movies about climate change)

Answer 4

This ice age is inevitable.Although it will be the first poisonous ice age and probably the most intense Mommy earth will produce.