The Mayan calendar ends on Dec. 21, 2012, which proves nothing but that they were good with math and astronomy. The cosmological event that occurs that year may have serious consequences. We'll be lining up with the galactic center and thus bombarded by a much higher than normal level of gamma radiation.
If Svensmark is correct and sunspots, indicative of the Sun's magnetic field, remain low, we'll be much more vulnerable to that radiation. His theory is that gamma rays interact with water vapor to form clouds which results in cooling, the fewer the sunspots the greater the cloud cover and the more cooling. The last few solar cycles have had higher than normal sunspot activity and we've also seen temps rise.
Could this mean we'll be headed for not just a little ice age but such dense cloud cover that the result would be devastating? Our current cycle of sunspots (#24) is almost non-existent. If global warming is proved wrong, this will give you something new to worry about.
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