I used to follow the sunspot cycle back when I was an active amateur radio operator. I would always be on the lookout on solar activity. The higher the solar activity, the better the DX was on the upper bands. In fact, during times of high solar activity, it was a lot of fun. You could actually watch tv broadcasts from several states away. With just a 5 watt SSB rig, you could reach halfway around the world on 10 meters. It was exciting.

Now, we are at the bottom of the solar cycle. The new solar cycle hasn’t begun yet and we have been been on the minimum for more than a year now. In fact, we are in the midst of one of the least active periods of solar activity for at least a century, probably much longer. Low solar activity can influence the climate on Earth. In fact, a long period of low solar activity coincided with the mini Ice Age in the 1500 and 1600’s. Some scientists are beginning to talk to about this possibility.

So, are we on the road to global warming or on the edge of a mini Ice Age?

Just to switch gears a little bit, I have been hearing much to much of late concerning global warming. I don’t if it is because I was out of the US for so long or if it is because of recent data, but it sure sounds like the chorus is getting deafening. Could it be that recent data is questioning the idea of global warming?

For example, the last 6 year has seen flat growth in temperatures and now, it has begun to digress with temperatures falling. It seems like I can bring up some interesting facts that I have begun finding.

- Arctic Ice expanded during the last winter making up much of the losses that were so dire not long ago.

- The arctic seal hunt is running into trouble because of heavy ice.

- The scale of temperature increases is much less than even 600 years ago. Do you remember reading about farming in Greenland?

I think the jury is still out on global warming or maybe it is not and the powers that be are doing one last desperate gasp for attention.

On July 9th, 2007, Buenos Aires, Argentina got snow. It was the first time since 1918 that snow fell in Buenos Aires. I guess that means that we are under global warming, no more snow and cold weather equals global warming? I don’t know, but I like this video of the snow in Buenos Aires.
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