General Discussion

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)

38. Sunspot activity (or the lack thereof) is one possible factor.

Tue Jan 7, 2014, 09:19 AM

Jan 2014

It is possible that the Earth would be getting colder, based upon diminished sunspot activity (reminiscent of that which triggered the "little ice age" around the 1600s to 1700s), except that CO2 emissions are forestalling this to some extent. Of course this does not mean that we should continue merrily pumping CO2 into the atmosphere because then when the sunspot activity gets going again we will have serious problems.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24512-solar-activity-heads-for-lowest-low-in-four-centuries.html#.Usv_ArR0nHc

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If you believe in global climate change, do you believe the earth is getting warmer or colder? [View all] kentuck Jan 2014 OP

Is this trying to place Climate change in woo category? PowerToThePeople Jan 2014 #1

It isn't a matter of belief. Spider Jerusalem Jan 2014 #2

Climate change means more energy is kept in the atmosphere Warpy Jan 2014 #3

Many different kinds of weather events occur across the earth. ananda Jan 2014 #4

We see wider and stronger hurricanes malaise Jan 2014 #5

here's some woo for ya Adam051188 Jan 2014 #6

Ok, let me try to untangle this for you nadinbrzezinski Jan 2014 #7

ding ding ^^^^ spanone Jan 2014 #9

and further: Salviati Jan 2014 #18

Isn't that caveat, IIRC, ten BILLION into the future? nadinbrzezinski Jan 2014 #20

Twenty actually :) Salviati Jan 2014 #22

No worries, the sun will be an ex star by then anyhow nadinbrzezinski Jan 2014 #23

Holy shit Nadin tkmorris Jan 2014 #21

No, it is not doing both. The planet is getting warmer, period. BlueStreak Jan 2014 #27

*Overall it is getting warmer * nadinbrzezinski Jan 2014 #31

Overall temperature, climate patterns, and weather events are THREE different things BlueStreak Jan 2014 #37

It's warmer where I stand. I'm wearing shorts more often than not. Cleita Jan 2014 #8

Climate change is real. The earth is getting warmer. immoderate Jan 2014 #10

Warming the earth changes global atmospheric and ocean circulations, struggle4progress Jan 2014 #11

Like magnetism and gravity, it is not something you get to believe in or not. MindPilot Jan 2014 #12

No need to discuss it any further. kentuck Jan 2014 #13

Most researchers these days use paper, or a computer. MindPilot Jan 2014 #14

Yes it is. kentuck Jan 2014 #15

Right over all of their heads bonzaga Jan 2014 #16

Just adding some cartoons to your thread Kentuck. :) Crewleader Jan 2014 #17

I love the middle one Niceguy1 Jan 2014 #24

Climate change is a bit more complex than many realize..... AverageJoe90 Jan 2014 #19

Global warming is a fact Bradical79 Jan 2014 #25

Scientific consensus by the vast majority of scinentiests indicates global warming caused by human. Agnosticsherbet Jan 2014 #26

First, I just have to point out that belief has nothing to do with this. Egalitarian Thug Jan 2014 #28

Climate. Weather. Not the same. mn9driver Jan 2014 #29

in science, a theory is not a hypothesis/mere speculation/beliefs La Lioness Priyanka Jan 2014 #30

Actually, the Earth itself continues to cool, as it has for billions of years. stopbush Jan 2014 #32

Depends what you mean by "the earth", and on the time scale, doesn't it? Donald Ian Rankin Jan 2014 #33

Snowball earth theory BarackTheVote Jan 2014 #34

Assuming you're serious and mean the Earth's surface, Edim Jan 2014 #35

global climate change BobUp Jan 2014 #36

That's an excellent video to understand some of the basic framework. nt adirondacker Jan 2014 #39

TY, science, people can deny it, or accept it for what it is, BobUp Jan 2014 #41

I'm not as concerned with a pole shift as much as the things we can control (CO2) adirondacker Jan 2014 #42

That link BobUp Jan 2014 #47

Sunspot activity (or the lack thereof) is one possible factor. Nye Bevan Jan 2014 #38

Before the rise of the AGW paradigm the 80s/90s, variations in solar activity were Edim Jan 2014 #46

I believe that the climate of the earth is changing. Skidmore Jan 2014 #40

This. GreenEyedLefty Jan 2014 #45

Weather is getting more extreme. blogslut Jan 2014 #43

who gives a shit, we are not doing jack about it anyhow quinnox Jan 2014 #44

+1,000,000 ...Really, who cares. No one is giving up anything that will make a difference. nt ChisolmTrailDem Jan 2014 #48

What I know. NCTraveler Jan 2014 #49

Definitely pipi_k Jan 2014 #50

There is more energy in the system leading to wilder extremes on point Jan 2014 #51

The planet is warming but climate change is complex.. ananda Jan 2014 #52

Wow. redqueen Jan 2014 #53

The 15 hottest years on record happened in the last 16 years bhikkhu Jan 2014 #54

The earth is warming, that is a fact Marrah_G Jan 2014 #55

Yes. lonestarnot Jan 2014 #56