This might be more of a climate/science thing, but how depressing is this? Maunder Minimum conditions in 40 years are possible... just as many of us will be leaving this mortal coil, or too decrepit to be able to enjoy it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25771510

I spotted that one and posted a link in the "solar cycle" thread in the "Climate Forum", is it too early to buy loads of extra blankets and duvets just in case?

Invest in sledge manufacturers...

Too late for us, though, Saint! We kick the bucket and deep cold and snow hits for decades.

You forget - the Maunder Minimum occurred during the Little Ice Age when the climate was already colder than it is today .... 

If it coold enough, we could see a return to typical 1990s weather though.  So heatwaves and wet, windy winters? 

Fascinating article here on the beeb website. 

It explains how we *could* (approx 20% current chance) be back in Maunder Minimum temps in the Northern Hemisphere by about 40 years time.

Well worth a watch.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25771510

If it does happen and our climate does cool, isn't that really worrying for what happens after the solar activity resumes to 'normal' we might even be all dead by then, but I suspect the warming would accelerate after. 

If we are half way to MM temps in 20 years then that will be an improvement on what we have ...so yes please

Worse thing, if it happened (which IMO is less likely than me winning the lottery this week) will be all the rabid global cooling catastrophists saying  Nah Nah Nah!  We was wight an youse was wong!  Cee oh two doesn't control the weather!   Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah! 


(they would, of course, still be totally wrong ....... )



Edit: and on a slightly more serious note, I think that in reality, if there is a prolonged period of low solar activity, we would see only very slight global warming until the middle of the century.   Which would be nice for us - but probably lead to rather more problems for our descendants once solar activity resumes  ......