LIA - The Little Ice Age

I have written often on the period known as the "Little Ice Age" (LIA). And I brought up the fact that our current "warming period" is not only natural, but 2-3 degrees below the Earth's normal temperature.

According to Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" which caused so much angst and panic, if the Earth were to warm an average of 2-3 degrees it would be a catastrophe of epic proportions. Yet, 2-3 degrees higher temperature would simply be normal.

This evening I watched a documentary on the History channel about LIA. LIA began in the 14th century and did not end until roughly 1850. During that period, the Earth's average temperature was 4 degrees colder than the present average temperature. And that small amount caused havoc and death throughout the world - famines, plagues, crime, as food became scarce and disease-ridden rats came indoors to escape the cold.

But the real story is untold - that the period preceding the Little Ice Age, from about the 10th century to the 14th, the Earth's average temperature was about 3 degrees warmer than it is today. And during that "warming period" of 400 years, civilizations grew and propered like no other time in recorded history. The best wines were brewed in England and imported to France. But during LIA, that came to an end as grapes could not grow in the colder temps of England. To this day grapes cannot grow in England, which tells you the Earth's temperature is still cooler than it was 1000 years ago.

The very same climate that Gore and his followers claim would be devastating was a reality just 1000 years ago (and obviously not caused by Man or his SUV's), and Mankind actually thrived.

This is proven science, not conjecture, opinion or political hype designed to redistribute wealth. The Earth is still coming out of the 500 year LIA, so it is natural for it to be warming. And it will get warmer yet, barring any outside influence that might again cause another Big Chill. And there is nothing we can, or should do about it.

I have said this before - nothing in nature remains stagnant. When the Earth is not warming it is cooling, and vice versa. When the Earth cools, Mankind suffers. When it warms, we thrive.

I say let it warm. After all, if we were to try to thwart the warming and a new LIA were to begin, the combined effect would be even more devastating than the last LIA.

So, what are the odds another LIA could be in our future? All it would take is a series of large volcanic eruptions over a short time, spewing enough ash into the atmosphere to block the sun for a few months, as happened when Mt Tambora erupted in the 1815, causing what came to be known as "The Year Without A Summer". That was just one volcano and it dropped the average mean temperature a full degree, bringing 5 feet of snow to the Northeast in July and August. Imagine several...just look at Indonesia lately. It COULD happen. But here's the kicker - there are 8 Super Volanoes on this planet (Yellowstone is one). All it would take to start a true ice age is for just ONE of those to blow.

/