There is a great dissertation on this subject in the book "Physics for Future Presidents" written by a professor of physics at UC Berkley. In it you will see a lot of data including ice core boring data from the arctic, anarctic, and major glacial masses. There is a wonderful annotated graph in it that shows there are short term and long term cycles in the earth's climate which shows the progress of mankind happening during the warming cycles and the setbacks occurring during the cooling cycles, and that the surface of the earth was actually warmer during the time of Christ.
Cyclical phenomena that is not widely understood is a great political tool, a good example is eclipses, and how they were used in early civilization by those who studied and understood them.
Mankind would like to think ourselves so powerful, but the fact is that we are not and will always be dwarfed by other natural pheonmena. Think and grow rich, and stay thirsty my friends.
Anybody enjoying that snow in the southeast today? When was the last time you remember that?
