Our Blue Planet is Rare; Even More Rare is an Ice Age; We're in One Now
"The Earth’s normal or optimum global average temperature over the past 550 million years is about 19.5 degrees C. or 67 degrees F. according to the temperature reconstructions done by Christopher Scotese. The normal state of the Earth’s climate is called the “Greenhouse” state, in this state there are no permanent, year-round ice caps on the North or South poles.
But, in the past 550 million years there have been four, long anomalously cool periods we call Ice Ages. In three of these cool periods we entered icehouse conditions where there were permanent, year-round ice caps on one or both poles. We are currently living in the most recent ice age; we are also in icehouse conditions and have permanent ice on both poles. In the past 550 million years we have been in icehouse conditions about nine percent of the time and the current icehouse is one of the most severe in that period."It's like a cycle or something; an apparent constant in the geologic record. The only thing constant in the fossil record is extinction. This rock was around a long time before our puny, hairless, 1600cc cranium, bi-pedal hominid species came along, and it this rock will be around a long time after we're gone. The global warming hysterists can sukk on it.
