Although much neglected, solar activity plays a major role in the earth's climate. We have just ended a very active solar cycle and most people (myself included) were expecting an even more active cycle about to start anytime now. I had read one suggestion that the cycle after this one could start a solar minimum, such as are associated with ice ages. But it appears that this solar cycle is already late in starting, and the Sun is anomalously quiet, with no sunspots at all. This is as quiet as it has been in a hundred years. Now, this cycle may very well start back up and that would not yet surprise me.
It is just that this is looking similar to how a solar minimum starts.... which are correlated with Global Cooling.
This would/could be a thousand times more devastating than Global Warming would ever be.
On the up-side, (small consolation) we can laugh at Al Gore and his camp...
Sun Makes History
Where have all the Sunspots Gone?
and of course,
Space Weather . com
No need to panic yet, but let's just keep our eyes on the Sun.
EDIT: The best place to keep an eye on the next solar cycle starting, as well as discussions of solar and climate physics about solar cycle 24, is SolarCycle24.com. Great site
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