So what’s going on? Air temperatures peaked in 1998 and a cooling trend began in 2002 while carbon dioxide levels have risen steadily since 1998. Living in Minnesota, before I go to bed every night I pray for some of that global warming. It never comes. This winter started early and didn’t end until mid-May. It would seem that natural climate cycles have turned from warming to cooling and global temperatures have been declining for more than 10 years. Will global temperatures continue to decline? It looks that way according to some of the latest models.
A few weeks ago it was reported by CBN News that the earth is most likely going into a long period of global cooling, not global warming, as a result of the sun going into a cycle of decreased activity, which will likely have an impact on the earth's climate, yielding cooler temperatures.
A group of Russian scientists conducting research from an observatory in St. Petersburg, indicated that this cooling period could last as long as 250 years. Joe Bastardi, who is the chief forecaster at WeatherBell, not only confirmed those predictions, but pointed out that the cooling trend is already here.
So what’s worse? Global warming or global cooling. I guess it depends on where you live. I think global cooling would be far worse for those who live in colder climates, unless you’re a polar bear or a penguin.
I have noticed that environmental groups that earlier proclaimed that global warming was going to kill the planet now refer to weather variations as climate change. This is a safer route because both global warming and global cooling will fit into a climate change model. Whichever way temperatures go it can be considered climate change.
In my book we should worry less about which direction the weather patters are moving and more on how much pollution we’re dumping into the environment. I’m not an environmentalist as much as I am a conservationist but it still pains me to see that with today’s technology advancements we still knowingly pump pollutants into the environment.
Rather than be a gloom-and-doomer I believe there are some great options to improve the environment. It might even slow the onset of climate change no matter which direction it goes. So check out these web sites and ponder some of the alternatives.
http://www.terrapower.com
http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.nwf.org/What-We-Do/Energy-and-Climate/Reducing-Emissions.aspx
