20130922

ICE AGE

"Man is a creature of the Ice Age," it was explained. The first Ice Age took place during the Precambrian time. Also known as the Glacial (freezing) Period, our current Ice Age, was said started during the Pleistocene Epoch. 

"Our 20th century is not perfect, but our climate seems more friendly than either the past or the future," it had been said. Glaciers (frozen fresh water) normally formed in the polar regions. The Greenland ice cap was said all that remained today of the Ice Age during the Pleistocene Epoch. It was reported the last Ice Age turned so much water into ice that the level of the oceans dropped about 300 feet. However as the ice melted the water went back to the seas and the level went back up. 

Climatologist Professor Hubert Lamb announced in September 1972, "The full impact of the new Ice Age will not be upon us for another 10,000 years and even then it will not be as severe as the last great Glacial Period. We are past the best of the interglacial (thawing) period which happened between 7,000 and 3,000 years ago. Ever since then we have been on a downhill float regarding temperature. There may be a few upward fluctations from time to time but these are more than offset by the general downward trend. We are on a definite downhill course for the next 2 centuries. The last 20 years of (the 20th) century will be progressively colder. After that the climate may warm up again but only for a short period of decades."

The professor pointed out, "The distance between the earth and the sun also varies through the ages as the earth's orbit increases or decreases its elliptical path. The tilting of the earth as it rotates round its own axis also makes the polar ice cap grows, and this affects the air masses round it." 

The Glacial Period was said "is still going on in Antarctica and Greenland" in 1988. It was noted, "Some animals, including man, were able to survive the change in climate. Animals that could not adapt simply died and became extinct." It was also mentioned, "In order for Ice Age glaciers to form, the world climate need only fall 6 to 8 degrees." 

In 2004, climate change became the subject of the motion picture, 'The Day After Tomorrow' which starred Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal. One climate change expert at the time argued, "There is evidence that abrupt climate change has happened a couple of times in the last 13,000 years, but it's never happened in a few days, as it does in the movie. That's completely impossible. The scenario in the movie is fictional." Writer and director Roland Emmerich reasoned, "This one I think you can really come out and discuss it with friends and say, 'Well, we have to do something or some day something like this could happen.'" 

 

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