Did global warming delay a new Ice Age?

Shall we call it the upside of global warming?

If researchers are correct, then elevated levels of carbon dioxide linked to human emissions has helped put off the next Ice Age. Their article, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, argues that the next Ice Age was slated to begin approximately 1,500 years from now. "At current levels of CO2, even if emissions stopped now we'd probably have a long interglacial duration determined by whatever long-term processes could kick in and bring [atmospheric] CO2 down," according to Luke Skinner from Cambridge University.

Earth's last Ice Age ended about 11,500 years ago.

According to the researchers' calculations, the Earth's atmospheric concentration of CO2 would need to drop below 240 parts per million before the process of glaciation could kick in. The planet's current level is around 390ppm.

Read more at the BBC.

[karek40]

I am still not convinced man's contribution to the CO2 level is significant. One volcano provides more CO2 than years of man's emissions. Perhaps the greenies would like all of us to stop breathing, that should stop our contributions.

[ge556]

CO2 hasn't been this high in hundreds of thousands of years. It's gone up 40% since the start of the industrial revolution. It's clearly our emissions that are doing it.

You can see CO2 levels here:
http://climate.nasa.gov/keyIndicators/index.cfm

[ge556]

Humans emit 100 times more CO2 than volcanoes.
http://www.skepticalscience.com/volcanoes-and-global-warming.htm

[dragontek-2009]

We are 10,000 years now into the interglacial known as the 'Holocene' The average interglacial the last million years has lasted around 20,000 years- so to say we have prevented a new glacial period from starting seems a bit of s stretch.

If we allow C02 levels to go beyond 450ppm- and keep rising- which seems to be the track we are now- 800pm or more is not out of the question by 2090- we will see warm conditions for thousands of years- unless people 'disappear' and we reduce our use of coal, oil and gas by 90%- if that happens we might see 02 drop to under 450ppm- still too warm for another glacial period- where C02 needs to drop to under 250ppm.

[erasmus111]

Well, they say you can withstand cold longer than you can withstand heat.

[erasmus111]

Yes, eventually you are dead, but you would last longer with the cold. : )