"I've been a solar physicist for 30 years, and I've never seen anything quite like this," Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, told the BBC.

"If you want to go back to see when the Sun was this inactive... you've got to go back about 100 years," he said.

The lull is particularly surprising because the Sun has reached its solar maximum, the point in its 11-year cycle where activity is at its peak.

The lacklustre climax also follows a solar minimum – the period when the Sun’s activity troughs – that was longer and lower than had been anticipated.

Mike Lockwood, professor of space environment physics at the University of Reading, told the BBC there was a significant chance that the Sun could become increasingly quiet.

He compared the current circumstances to the latter half of the 17th Century, when the sun went through an extremely quiet phase referred to as the Maunder Minimum.

That era of solar inactivity coincided with bitterly cold winters to Europe, where the Baltic Sea and London's River Thames froze over. Conditions were so harsh that some described it as a mini-Ice Age.

Prof Lockwood says we may see a repeat if the Sun continues to dip, positing that the results would be dominantly felt in Europe due to the flow of an air current in the upper atmosphere that can drive the weather.

"It's a very active research topic at the present time, but we do think there is a mechanism in Europe where we should expect more cold winters when solar activity is low," he said.

Yeah, it is funny and shows the desperation some feel to discredit AGW.

But global temperatures have been climbing all the time.

Even if we do go into a “little ice age” (doubt it) emissions are still growing (might accelerate as more fuel burned to heat houses and workplaces etc) and the oceans are still acidifying. To Adelaideans this week the thought of an iceage has its attractions LOL!

St George of the Garden wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 11:04am:


Drat! It's the simians fault.......

St George of the Garden wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 11:04am:



And if you read the story the sun heats up to a point then cools down, only this time its a little early.
Its one thing all the global warming alarmist always leave out of the equation is that the heat that the sun puts off changes the temperature of our planet. The fact that the sun has been warming for quite some time just shows the carbon had nothing to do with it.

Bobby. wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 12:07pm:

No its not good news, its rather bad news, A warmer Earth is more desirable as more food can be produced, A cooler Earth could lead to food shortages.

skippy. wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 10:52am:


Total tosh.
But let's not forget the 97% of alarmist scientists and their shyte models have been dead wrong for 17 years. You'd need to be brain damaged to follow the warmist circus, or paid...

Rider wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 12:15pm:


and your model is right is it ?  LOL

Got to say at this point it's all so smacking hilarious.

Bobby. wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 12:07pm:
So you'd think. Unfortunately:

and it ain't getting any cooler.

We should probably be heading into the next ice age, but:

Notice that the current interglacial seems longer than the others? Denialists will assure you that human activities couldn't possibly have that effect.

A few observations -
1) We are now at or past the average times pan, when the climate has shifted, over the last 450,000 years.
2) There may be a number of reasons for that, but one SHOULD consider that the cycle MAY be breaking and this could lead to a Venus style Planetary climate on the up side OR it MAY be that the Ice Age has only been delayed a little, possibly by our build up of GHG's.
3) Either way, humanity & many other species live within a "Goldilocks Climate Range" and WHEN (not if) the climate breaks out of the current "Goldilocks Climate Range" that we have enjoyed for some time now and that has seen our numbers flourish, our existence will become much more difficult.
4) When we do break out of the "Goldilocks Climate Range", our current Local & Global Economic structures will become totally redundant, as/and our Population levels will reduce quickly & significantly.
5) There is no validity to the assertion that a break out on the Climate up side will be any better than a break out on the Climate downside.
Either way the future of humanity will come under great stress & either way our survival can not be guaranteed!   

# wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 2:52pm:


The current interglacial being longer than the others due to burning of fossil fuels by humans?
You absolutely sure you want to run with that?

namnugenot wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 5:54pm:

# wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 2:52pm:

# wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 8:12pm:


Well, let me put it this way, outside of the "Goldilocks Climate Range", life as we now know it (the modern Economic era) would cease to exist!

Save the planet.

the global warming is about how man made influences are affecting the planet ... EARTH ...this story is about the SUN ... at best this will ward of global warming for a few years, but it does not in any way negate the arguments proving global warming

# wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 2:52pm:



Can you substantiate that claim?

Ice Age? Sorry, but the mechanism is totally different. It's related to orbital changes - the Milankovich cycle etc.

What he's talking about is another Maunder Minimum. That's possible. In fact the solar activity has been extremely low over the past 10 years at least.

... So why all the record high temperatures?

In the absence of the enormous emissions of CO2, we should have seen a cool spell. We didn't.

- but denialists shouldn't be concerned about this. The evidence for a prolonged period of solar activity is nothing like 95-99%. It isn't even 50%.

Bobby. wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 10:16pm:



Hi Nail,
the fact is that George Carlin is right -
we'll be just another failed extinct species after we wreck
the planet to make it inhospitable for ourselves -

then many new species will develop & the world will cleanse itself.

Bobby. wrote on Jan 20^th, 2014 at 7:45am:


Yes Bobby it is a good read but as noted in the article it has a number of significant, in fact fatal, problems.  Note also that 3 of the most highly knowledgeable proponents of this theory and those best scientifically qualified (Note to #) to understand what they mean (Imbrie, Berger and Loutre) have 180 degrees views on what they in fact mean in practice. Imbrie having a cooling from 6000K years ago and continuing for another 23K. While Berger and Loutre putting us in a current warm climate that lasts for another 50K years. So if these guys can't agree on what they mean you can hardly say that they say other than what people tell you they are saying...a bit like reading sheep's entrails, so bang, smack in cultist central.

Bobby. wrote on Jan 20^th, 2014 at 9:53am:


Just noticed I wrote 6000k when should have been 6K or 6000...my apology.

# wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 8:12pm:


Don't worry, you aren't, and won't be. Humanity will not and cannot 'sterilise the planet'..

gizmo_2655 wrote on Jan 20^th, 2014 at 12:00pm:

Can you substantiate those assertions?

Sir lastnail wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 12:18pm:


What 'model'??? Skeptics don't use 'models', they use real world temperatures..

gizmo_2655 wrote on Jan 21^st, 2014 at 2:50pm:
Wouldn't you need the data in advance, if you're going to predict what might happen? How do you get "real world temperatures" before the event?

lee wrote on Jan 21^st, 2014 at 8:30pm:


True, but that is why he is asking Gizmo about "Skeptics don't use 'models', they use real world temperatures.." How can you make predictions with real world data?

namnugenot wrote on Jan 21^st, 2014 at 10:56pm:


Ah yes, I see what you mean.. Like cherry picking data like the last 17 years or other short terms in the record as this shows with the blue lines and ignoring the overall trend... I get it now!

BlOoDy RiPpEr wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 12:10pm:


Actually its the exact opposite. The Sun has been low, yet the temperatures have climbed.

This is very bad for deniers, because it adds more evidence to AGW.

'Stephen Hawking: "We don’t know where global warming will stop but the worst case scenario is that the earth will become like its sister planet Venus, with a temperature of 250 degrees C ..." '

Can you explain this I'm lost.

Water is a stable compound - freeze it, boil it; it stays water. If you separate it, eg electrolysis, it quickly forms - water. From what I have seen the only mechanism, whilst it is in this fleeting separated state, is for the H2 to be emitted to space.

How in a "bubble" is that achieved?

If it remains around earth as water vapour it will increase the radiation to space, cooling the earth.

lee wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2014 at 11:03am:
Isn't water vapour a greenhouse gas?

Why would water vapour "increase the radiation to space"? Are you confusing water vapour and clouds? Are clouds water vapour?

namnugenot wrote on Jan 21^st, 2014 at 10:56pm:

Of course, of course. The vast majority of the best qualified are engaged in a grand conspiracy for their own shabby ends. Not only that, but every organisation of reputable scientists on the planet is in it with them.

# wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2014 at 1:59pm:
lee wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2014 at 2:26pm:
So you confused water vapour with water droplets?

At 250 Celsius, would droplets form?

Unless you actually want your posts to be difficult to interpret, you'd best learn how to use the 'Quote' button.

namnugenot wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2014 at 2:48pm:
Who said "it cant be questioned"?

lee wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2014 at 2:50pm:
How could I possibly explain your expectation?

I rely on the knowledge that Carl Sagan (who, on the dynamics of planetary atmospheres,  was probably the best mind this planet has ever produced) warned of the risk and Stephen Hawking (who is probably the best mind alive on this planet) repeated the warning. I don't claim to understand. I certainly don't claim to know better.

gizmo_2655 wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2014 at 3:43pm:


Climategate ?     All that proved that some people send hissy-fit emails.

meanwhile, the temperature rises.

# wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2014 at 7:58pm:



Very selective that knowledge.

"Climategate scientists DID collude with government officials to hide research that didn't fit their apocalyptic global warming
5,000 leaked emails reveal scientists deleted evidence that cast doubt on claims climate change was man-made
Experts were under orders from US and UK officials to come up with a 'strong message'
Critics claim: 'The stink of intellectual corruption is overpowering'
Scientist asks, 'What if they find that climate change is a natural fluctuation? They'll kill us all'"

# wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2014 at 8:26pm:




http://dump.kurthbemis.com/climategate2/

# wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2014 at 10:20am:


Why am I unsurprised...

And you added a collection of dead and blind links as well as ones where they conducted their own investigations into themselves or appointed those who were to do so and "Reports" of such searching rigor as the one this quote was taken from... "Within our limited inquiry and the evidence we took.... It was not our purpose to examine, nor did we seek evidence on, the science produced by CRU.”
But there were also plenty of references to the method employed...
misusing privileged information
serious deviation from accepted practices
we concluded that the University did not adequately review the allegation in either its inquiry or investigation processes....
and so on and so forth...

# wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2014 at 7:34pm:


http://noconsensus.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/climategate-2-0/

Sorry about that. There that should work.
Your just cranky because your mountain of evidence is shrinking away. No matter how hard you pray for the apocalypse. Time is not on your side.

namnugenot wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2014 at 10:14pm:
Not my evidence. I wouldn't know what to do with climate data.

Link to any body of reputable scientists that supports your fantasy and you might convince someone other than yourself.