As technology improves and we are able to measure climate fluctuations in ice cores and soil layers (plant remains tell us a lot), several previous hypothesis' have been dis-proven, including the global cooling that was worried about in the 70's. That was before scientists realized that climate is a world-wide entity, no area is isolated from others and what affects one can cause changes in another. Therefor we use the term Global Climate Change now.

While most of our planet is getting warmer, there are a few spots that have cooled slightly. Regardless of whether we are in a normal climate change cycle, or one that has been exaggerated by human activity, we do know that we need to adjust to it. What the future holds is still up for vigorous debate. I'd advise researching environmental journals and looking into various topics connected to climate change including the thermo-haline ocean currents and the El Nino, La Nina cycles and how they affect weather worldwide. Wikipedia is a great place to start; the sources cited on the articles are often scholarly journals and other highly credible sources. Make sure you look at the pro and con sources to give you an idea of what they agree on, that's where to start.

To the extent that there was a "global cooling scare" (even back then, more scientists thought there would be significant warming than significant cooling), it was due to a different factor than global warming.

Climate is complicated. There are a lot of things that affect it.

One of the things that was a major factor in the 70s was aerosols. They are tiny particles in the air that reflect sunlight. Most of the '70s aerosols were from sulfur from burning coal. Some scientists were concerned that the cooling from sulfur pollution might be enough to trigger glaciation.

But then we cleaned up our coal power plants, at least with respect to sulfur, and CO2 emissions took over as the dominant climate forcing.

And, of course, there were the natural glaciation cycles due to the Earth's tilt, which will *eventually* trigger another ice age. We are actually about due for the very slow beginning of the next ice age.

Some sites that might help you understand global warming a bit better:

http://www.skepticalscience.com/

http://aip.org/history/climate/summary.h...

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/...

http://www.realclimate.org/

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;... (I posted a question asking people to give links to information at varying levels of experience)

No, it wasn't a big scare in the 70s. There was one magazine article that Deniers like to bring up as if it's some kind of scientific proof that there's a huge conspiracy going on in today's scientific community.

Now, they point out the cooler Spring but don't want you to know about the record heatwave Greenland was having which was pushing arctic air down on N America.

Here's some helpful info;http://ncse.com/climate

There is no evidence for anything. Climate is too chancy like a roulette wheel. Back in the late 60's book came out saying we would all freeze and die by the middle 80's. No one paid attention so they changed their minds and went with global warming instead. It has to do with GREEN, MONEY. If you can make money with any stupid thing that is GREEN!!!! Religion is very GREEN! And so is science. Scientists need grant money so they are GREEN!!! I have seen this stupid thing grow over decades and find it hilarious. Back in 70's the bumper stickers said "Burn Wood Not Atoms!!", then the idiots found out wood comes from trees and went crazy trying to save trees and now it is coming around to "Burn Atoms Not Wood!!", I am not kidding. It boils down to the fact that people need a religion and Gaia is as good a religion as Allah or the Christian God. It is an inbuilt need and I have no problem with it but I am all grown up and don't need fairy tales to run my life.

Relax I was born in 1946 and the earth is much like I remember when I was young, I remember very hot summers and cold wet summers, mild winters and freezing cold winters, much like now.

I have fished the same beach for 30 yrs and know every rock and ledge, there has been no sea level rise that I can see, although there is a lot less fish now, but that is over fishing not global warming.

I was born in the 1990's and just recently heard the term global cooling.

I don't know much about this but would like to know more- apparently it was a big scare in the 1970's.

- what evidence is there for global cooling, and along with it global warming- as far as numbers go?

- ice age happen, and will happen again, but is the earth currently cooling?

- why is global more severe in specific parts of the world compared to others.

i have attempted to research these points but i want terribly productive.

i think global warming and the information we know about it is interesting. I need to make a photo-essay to communicate an opinion, i think it would be interesting to communicate the less voiced opinion of global cooling- if it is taking place.

I'd love to hear if you have any ideas of how to visually capture global cooling through photography.

thanks for your help

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