News UK mini-Ice Age

[george7378]

It has been cold, but one thing I hate is when people whink it's the end of life in the UK as we know it because of a covering of snow - people will get worked up, fearing that they will have to stock up on food for the next few months, and schools will close with people talking dramatically about how they couldn't get out of their driveway for 10 minutes, and how the snow is actually staying on the ground for more than a day. BBC news doesn't help to avoid a useless hype either, with constant news bulletins about how people have to spend an extra half-hour driving home, and how there is a national shortage of salt for the roads.

It hardly points to global warming either, because it has happened before, and it is definitely not a serious global threat which will cause a worldwide climate change Earth will never recover from. There were times when Earth never had an atmosphere, let alone one which caused a couple of snowy days in the UK.

 

[Andy44]

Gaianism sucks, but their female followers also do. *smirks* :hide:

SHort answer? Yes.:tiphat:

 

[jedidia]

Would you believe me if I said Global Warming?

No. Allthough I do not doubt the reality of global warming, I'm well aware of the fact that it can't be made responsible for seasonal quirkiness and strange wheather in the short term.

The atlantic jet stream is tracking about 500 miles further south of its usual winter location.

Now there's a reason that sounds much more reasonable. It would indeed be interesting to know why the jet stream decided to wander south this year, but yes, that explanation might be tough to come up with.

People really need to understand the difference between "climate" and "weather".

I am well aware of that difference, that's why I asked in the first place. Otherwise I just might have blamed it on global warming

thanks for the reply, by the way.

The constant rainfalls here lead to an early high water level (it's usually that level in rivers around March/April). I think it won't be a problem, since there won't be any melting water in spring (all snow's gone, even in the mountains), but if it keeps on raining things could get uncomfortable here. We already have a river in front of the house (down the streat) which you can HEAR sitting in the living room, and it's already carrying fist-sized stones and similiar debris with it. Of course that's majorly due to the fact that the road leads up into the hills and that there isn't a single sewer along its length, but it's all going to end up down in the river anyways, so... I hope I won't have to go swiming in february :blink:

 

[tl8]

Good answers, because I don't think Global Warming is causing this either...

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Gaianism sucks, but their female followers also do. *smirks* :hide:

Ya just gotta love some hippie chicks. Not all of them, just the, uhh, open minded ones.

 

[Graham2001]

To put the present winter weather in perspective, it's not abnormally cold, nor extended in duration, it's merely colder than the present average, it's nowhere near the 'little ice-age' of the 16th to 19th centuries, nor is it as cold as 1963, which is pretty much the benchmark for cold winters in the UK.

It may become as severe as 1963, if we see lower temperatures, ( lowest recorded temperature in the UK -27c, so far this winter the lowest is a balmy -22c), and if the snow lasts into mid february, however even this wouldn't compare to the extended cold period of the little ice age, since 2010 is a blip in an observed warming trend for the climate, as streb puts it, there is a difference between climate and weather

Europe seems to get these every so often. There were unusually cold winters in (to my knowledge) 1928/29, 1939/1940, 1946/47 & 1962/1963. What we could be seeing is Global Warming induced changes in ocean circulation patterns which would result in colder winters in parts of the world combined with higher average temperatures.

That said I hope that the advocates of going back to pastoral squalor as a solution to Global Warming are enjoying freezing in the dark...

 

[T.Neo]

In Melbourne it will get to +41°C on Monday. Where would you rather be?

Melbourne.

you can work out what the cancer is

Yep. It must be just like that cancer a few billion years ago that made the existence of anything over pondscum a possibility by completely wrecking the atmosphere and killing off most living things. :dry:

 

[Ghostrider]

Yep. It must be just like that cancer a few billion years ago that made the existence of anything over pondscum a possibility by completely wrecking the atmosphere and killing off most living things. :dry:

That wasn't cancer, it was a stray bullet.

 

[Cerebus]

Europe seems to get these every so often. There were unusually cold winters in (to my knowledge) 1928/29, 1939/1940, 1946/47 & 1962/1963. What we could be seeing is Global Warming induced changes in ocean circulation patterns which would result in colder winters in parts of the world combined with higher average temperatures.

That said I hope that the advocates of going back to pastoral squalor as a solution to Global Warming are enjoying freezing in the dark...

Yes, those winters were unusually cold/prolonged, and there seems to be some evidence of a pattern there, and it has been theorised that these cold spells may be linked to sunspot minima.

I'm sure those advocating a return to pastoral squalor are feeling very self-satisfied about now, and will have a whole list of reasons why this cold period must have been caused by global warming and climate change, they're no doubt sitting around their cow-dung fires discussing this as they break off another chunk of ice to make some chamomile tea with....

 

[T.Neo]

That wasn't cancer, it was a stray bullet.

I'm not describing the supposed impact event that formed the Moon.

I'm referring to the so-called "oxygen catastrophe" when photosynthetic organsims liberated oxygen into the atmosphere.

 

[JamesG]

Yep, Earth's natural atmosphere has been suffering from oxygen pollution for billions of years.
Humanity is just trying to return it back to its original condition.

 

[dansteph]

I'm for one love true winter... -4C° here, 20cm snow. Lovely ->weather<-

"jingle bell, jingle bell..."

Greeting from my kids...

Dan
*hoping no-one will notice the barbecue still in garden *

 

[Ghostrider]

I'm not describing the supposed impact event that formed the Moon.

I'm referring to the so-called "oxygen catastrophe" when photosynthetic organsims liberated oxygen into the atmosphere.

Then it was flatulence.

 

[T.Neo]

Humanity is just trying to return it back to its original condition.

Indeed! We shall prevail against the cancer-like menace that is photosynthesis and return the Earth to it's proper condition! Our Cause is Earth!

:dry:

 

[Urwumpe]

I'm for one love true winter... -4C° here, 20cm snow. Lovely ->weather<-

I shoveled and hauled 2 tons of snow this morning for being able to leave the house tomorrow...

 

[Ghostrider]

Indeed! We shall prevail against the cancer-like menace that is photosynthesis and return the Earth to it's proper condition! Our Cause is Earth!

:dry:

For Gallifrey! For Victory! For the end of Time itself!

 

[Urwumpe]

For Gallifrey! For Victory! For the end of Time itself!

By Grabthar's hammer, by the suns of Warvan, you shall be avenged!

 

[Notebook]

For Gallifrey! For Victory! For the end of Time itself!

didn't quite work out for him did it...?

I wonder how many ex-Bonds will be doing cameos in the future/

N.

 

[T.Neo]

By Grabthar's hammer, by the suns of Warvan, you shall be avenged!

:rofl::rofl:

 

[cinder1992]

For Gallifrey! For Victory! For the end of Time itself!

Oh, you saw that episode too?

anyway, pardon me for being n00bish, but ur doin it wrong (this announcement has nothing to do with the above quote but in fact is relevant to the TOPIC).