Unabashed

Just out of curiosity, and because I’ve got RSS feeds for any headlines concerning global warming and ice age: I see plenty of science-industry panic over global warming, but nobody seems to consider the idea that the warming trend could actually result in an ice age. It might seem counter intuitive (and it may well be, since I’m the only one thinking it), but I can visualize a scenario where it’s not only possible, but probable.

Consider this: the global climate is determined by the temperature of the oceans. Global warming is triggering a worldwide thaw of glacial ice, as well as the ice shelf of Antarctica. With all that melt water blending in with seawater, and bearing in mind that melt water is very, very cold, isn’t it conceivable that the temperature of the oceans will drop? And if the oceans’ temperatures drop, the temperature of the air will drop, too. And on the topic of rising sea levels, well, that seems to set up the scenario for an impending ice age as well, because there will be a lot of water freed up to freeze into new glaciers.

This is not some doomsday prophesy, and I’m not suggesting that there’s any conspiracy, I’m just asking a simple question because I’m no scientist but this idea seems really plausible to me.

written by Matt Mitchell