A reader writes:

I was interested to know if you were aware of any statements or predictions by the AGW crew regarding the end of the current interglacial period. Here is a temperature reconstruction of the past 420,000 years: Based on past temperatures, I’d say it is reasonable to assume that the interglacial period will end sometime (by geological standards) soon. A couple of questions follow for those who think along AGW lines: 1. Will AGW prevent the end of the interglacial period? If so, what evidence do you have to support your answer? 2. If so, won’t the warmer climate be preferable to an ice age? 3. If not, why are you worried about temperature increases that are certain to fall in the not-too-distant-future?



The reconstruction to which the reader refers is a Watts Up With That graph that tracks NOAA temperature data based on Greenland ice-core samples. It shows the famed “hockey stick” within ever-widening time frames, starting with the last 500 years and eventually stretching across 420,000 years.When put in such a context, global temperatures are demonstrated to be cylical, and the “hockey stick” to be utterly inconsequential. More to the point, the graph shows a bigger problem: If we are to believe that the cycles will continue, we are ostensibly approaching the end of a warm period and heading back to glaciation.

Take a look here.