[geeks] Mr Bill?

[Mike Meredith]

On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:03:22 +0300, Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
> On Thu, Sep 18, 2008 at 07:50:01AM +0100, Mike Meredith wrote:
> 
> >An 80-metre rise in sea level? Even if it did hold (it wouldn't), the
> >leakage around the edges would effectively mean it wasn't there.
> 
> That is so last year. Now the satelitte measurements are showing that
> the Antartice ice is getting bigger and actual temperature measurments
> have shown the oceans have been cooling.

Well first of all I was asked if the Thames Barrier would hold if the
antarctic ice sheets melted (which isn't all of the 80m rise, but
"just" 64m) ... not whether it was likely to happen.

Secondly isn't that satellite survey the one that misses 22% of the
antarctic continent because the satellite doesn't cover the whole
region ? 

> Due to the lack of sunspots, the current preditctions are for another
> "Little Ice Age" and the Thames to freeze again.

You pick scientists that predict things to suit your prejudices and
I'll pick ones that predict things to suit mine :)

Personally I can't see the link between sunspots and 'periods of cold',
and the most likely cause of a _serious_ "mini ice-age" is likely to be
something happening to the gulf stream.

-- 
Mike Meredith (http://zonky.org/)
 There has been such a thing as letting mankind alone; there has never
 been such a thing as governing mankind [with success]
  -- Zhuangzi