If you’re old enough to remember the early 1970’s you may remember the then dire predictions of the scientists that we were heading into an ice age.  Why?  Well, because we’d had a couple of decades of cooling temperatures, despite the burning of fossil fuels.  Sound familiar?  I didn’t believe it at the time, just like I don’t believe the global warming alarmists that we’re going to all burn up in the next 50 years. 

 

I’ve always thought that the assumption that the solar output was totally constant and had no effect on long term climate was a dumb one. In this blog entry a couple of years ago I mentioned this fact, to some mocking by certain compatriots of mine, but I still maintain this, based on some scientific foundation I received at University and my reading of scientific journals/blogs etc.

 

A very interesting scientific paper was released yesterday talking about long term solar cycles and the amount of radiation which is currently reaching the earth.  In a nutshell, the paper says that in addition to the well-known 11 year sunspot cycle there is a longer 200-300 year cycle.  The latter is on it’s way down and the amount of radiation reaching the Earth will enevitably drop over the coming years.  Recent high temperatures have been a result of highs in the solar output.

 

Have a read, keep an open mind, and order that new woolly pully ….

 

Cheers

 

Dave Mc