Well, I'm pretty sure we (that being any of our ancestral species) did'nt exist back than, so yeah, that time was'nt our fault.

Can't read the link, I'm in a bit of a hurry, but the two most plausable explanations for it are, an asteroid impact or a super/mega volcano eruption.

Ok here is how it goes. Earth is a b*tch, every 100,000 years an ice age happens. Those last a long time, then it goes away (for 100,000 years). Well according to just about every scientist, our 100,000 are basically up. But we haven't started with a new ice age (thanks to global warming). But global warming is also a b*tch. If we don't 'warm' enough we enter a new ice age, and if we 'warm' too much we enter a new ice age... So the real key to our future/survival is to 'warm' somewhat.

I was told in a biology lesson that global warming is not exactly anything to be entirely concerned about.

It's a natural cycle, and apparently it was a lot warmer in the middle ages.

Originally posted by NWguy83
Ok here is how it goes. Earth is a b*tch, every 100,000 years an ice age happens. Those last a long time, then it goes away (for 100,000 years). Well according to just about every scientist, our 100,000 are basically up. But we haven't started with a new ice age (thanks to global warming). But global warming is also a b*tch. If we don't 'warm' enough we enter a new ice age, and if we 'warm' too much we enter a new ice age... So the real key to our future/survival is to 'warm' somewhat.

The last ice age ended just 10 000 years ago, not 100 000. So we have 90 000 years left...
Anyway more interesting thing is - why there were sudently ice ages in last few millions of years? So far I know the climate was relatively stable (and warm) before. And then the warm-cold(ice) cycle began. Why?

[edit on 6-1-2006 by longbow]

The planet has a natural "carbon cycle", where carbon is stored in carbon sinks, such as trees, and the largest carbon sink...

This is too disasterous prophecy. The climate was mach warmer during dinosaur era and CO2 levels were also much higher. THe temperature was not even nearly above extermination level though. Indeed that there will be much problems for 3rd world countries, but such disaster will probably never happen.
Anyway I am surprised that no one considers the benefits of global warming - for example the Russia and Canada could become cool places to live.

Originally posted by longbow
The last ice age ended just 10 000 years ago, not 100 000. So we have 90 000 years left...

The last ice age was around the time of the last of the cavemen. Are you telling me that cavemen died out only 10,000 years ago? Maybe dinosaurs died out 65,000 years ago, instead of 65,000,000 years ago. I just watched this show on the Science Channel a few months ago about ice ages.

I dont know. Honestly, stuff like this, carbon dating, etc., anything that has to do with things that went on millions of years ago, I dont put to much faith in. It is hard to reconstruct what went down by looking at "nutrients". but that is just me.

Originally posted by longbow
This is too disasterous prophecy. The climate was mach warmer during dinosaur era and CO2 levels were also much higher. THe temperature was not even nearly above extermination level though. Indeed that there will be much problems for 3rd world countries, but such disaster will probably never happen.

And yet an extermination DID happen 250 million years ago, caused by global warming, caused by the natural release of CO2 & methane from the ocean floor. The same thing may well happen again, this time given a helping hand by man.

Also, yes, it will most likely hit the 3rd world harder than most. Bound to. But we've seen what happens what the crop fails across the mid-west (back in the mid-30s), and this is the likely outcome for the west. Maybe not as bad as in the 3rd world, but still serious enough.

Originally posted by longbow
Anyway I am surprised that no one considers the benefits of global warming - for example the Russia and Canada could become cool places to live.

Northern Russia has already warmed. So much so, the amount of freshwater going into the Arctic Sea is alot higher than it was, due to the melting of permafrost across Siberia. This is already starting to cause the currents in the North Atlantic to move northwards, meaning the air currents that keep the UK warmer than Siberia are moving northwards. The UK will end up having the same sort of weather as Newfoundland (not a surprise as we're on the same latitude).

Originally posted by longbow
And the last glacial period ended just 10 000 years ago, believe or not. We now live in interglacial period.

Way off buddy.

The last major glacial thaw was 10,000 years ago, which means that the Earth is scheduled to head into another ice age.

You had the 10,000 year part right, but at the wrong time.