# Global Warming or Ice Age **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 4, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509 "2009-10-04T02:08:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509/1 "2009-10-04T02:08:59Z")
Let’s say you have to pick between two paths in the future. Severe Global Warming: Basically global warming in cataclysimic porportions. Sea levels rise several feet and most major cities are underwater and some nations like Bangladesh completely disappear. Severe desertification and famines. New Ice Age: Another Ice Ages begins and apocalyptic storms ravage the planet. Big blizzards, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Much of the northern areas of Earth including Canada, the northern US, northern Europe, and Russia covered under icesheets. The death toll is more or less the same in both disasters so which one would you pick? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509/2 "2009-10-04T09:42:30Z")
I think global warming might have more accidental side benefits (increased rainfall in some places) to balance out some of the disasters overall, although I think the OP errs in that catastrophic hurricanes and tornadoes would seem to me to be more a feature of GW than an IA. ---
**Author:** ![Haunted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/898d66/32.png) [@Haunted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509/3 "2009-10-04T12:21:06Z")
Since global warming will change disease vectors, I predict that it will bring on the long-awaited zompocalypse. I’ve been preparing for the zompocalypse for years so, naturally, I am very excited about this development. Two thumbs up for the Solanum Virus! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509/4 "2009-10-04T13:54:04Z")
I am from Louisiana but I live in New England now and I am stuck here until my young daughters grow up. It is much too cold up here for my tastes 6 months of the year. I admit that I get secretly excited every time that I hear about Global Warming but I haven’t noticed much of a real-world benefit yet. I hope and pray that it will come sooner rather than later. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509/5 "2009-10-04T18:50:51Z")
I choose ice ages. As a Canadian, I can already deal with them. 🙂 Also, longterm, the solar output is rising. Global warming will only hasten the day the planet becomes permanently uninhabitable; ice ages dalay that day. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509/6 "2009-10-04T21:46:24Z")
Actually, I believe that it’s when things warm up that there are larger storms and tornadoes and whatnot. The extra heat puts more energy into the system resulting in more violent weather. An ice age would simply be colder. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509/7 "2009-10-04T21:53:27Z")
We are technically in an ice age right now. There’s ice at the poles - that’s the definition of an ice age. Or do you mean like the movies portray ice ages? ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509/8 "2009-10-05T00:14:50Z")
I see global warming as positive-longer growing season, milder winters, and migration of the boreal forests into the now-barren tundras. In addition, shipping routes via the North Polar regions will save money and energy. Plus, I like palm trees-in Boston, vry nice. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509/9 "2009-10-05T02:30:53Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am from Louisiana but I live in New England now and I am stuck here until my young daughters grow up. It is much too cold up here for my tastes 6 months of the year. I admit that I get secretly excited every time that I hear about Global Warming but I haven’t noticed much of a real-world benefit yet. I hope and pray that it will come sooner rather than later. Pretty much my reason for voting for Global Warming. We have a near ice-age here from December through February, and it sucks. I’d like to give the other side of the coin a try. ---
**Author:** ![badlyburnttoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@badlyburnttoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badlyburnttoast)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509/10 "2009-10-05T03:18:58Z")
I hate winter and I hate the cold. If getting rid of that forever means desertification and widespread famine, so be it. Bring on the global warming! ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509/11 "2009-10-05T04:13:21Z")
I hate being cold. Give me global warming, I’m not having kids to leave the earth to! ::sprays aerosol can:: ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509/12 "2009-10-05T04:55:55Z")
I’d rather live on Hoth than Tatoonie. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-or-ice-age/512509/13 "2009-10-05T15:33:22Z")
Perhaps we should ask [Lois Nettleton](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Midnight_Sun).