I have to say that must be a possibility, but there has been a whole raft of
studies which indicate that the Subatlantic cold period was long and harsh.
I suppose its a bit like the "Little Ice Age", where there were on average
colder winters but there were some warmer spells that we can't even seem to
match today! In general though, I think the figures are correct.
Unfortunately, no one really knows what effect our increased CO2 will
eventually have. Yes there may be some warming going on at the moment, but
I still have this nagging doubt in the back of my mind. If the climate were
left to its own devices, we could well have another couple of hundred years
of relatively warm and stable climate, however, with the dramatic increase
in CO2, that warm stable climate could be pushed beyond its limit and
instead become cold and very unstable. I guess we won't really know the
answer until it actually happens!!

Shaun Pudwell.

"John Hall" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Shaun Pudwell writes:
Actual Previous Warm and Cold Climatic Periods:

975bc-250bc Subatlantic cold period ( lasted approx 725 years )
250bc-450ad Roman warm period ( lasted approx 700 years )
450ad-950ad Dark ages cold period ( lasted approx 500 years )
950ad-1400ad Medieval warm period ( lasted approx 450 years )
1400ad-1850ad Little Ice Age ( lasted approx 450 years )
1850ad-2003ad Modern warm period ( 153 years and counting... )

Notice how the durations of warm and cold periods are shortening, just as
my
earlier theoretical work suggested.

I wonder whether it's simply that we are better able to detect changes
in mean temperatures of a few degrees as we get closer to the current
day? In other words, is it possible that, for example, there was an
undetected warm period in the middle of that Sub-altantic Cold Period?
That might change the impression of periods getting shorter as we
approach the present day.
--
John Hall Weep not for little Leonie
Abducted by a French Marquis!
Though loss of honour was a wrench
Just think how it's improved her French. Harry Graham
(1874-1936)