Although we’ve been covering this quiet sun issue for over a year on WUWT, the light bulb seems to have gone on for mainstream media right about now.
There is growing press coverage about the current state of the sun, most recently from Charles Osgood of CBS News as well as the BBC and other major outlets. While the sun slumbers deeper and has missed its cyclic snooze alarm, our media is finally waking up to the solar somnolence.
Here is a short roundup of news articles on this subject today:
‘Still Sun’ baffling astronomers
Scientists warn sun has dimmed
Sun ‘at its quietest for 100 years’
Has the sun gone in? Earth’s closest star ‘dimmest it’s been for a century’
So the question arises, now that this has been identified, what should we call it?
There have been some good ideas, such as naming it after Jack Eddy, who coined the phrase “Maunder Minimum“. There’s been some discussion of a “Gore Minimum”, but I don’t like the idea of giving Gore credit for something he has nothing to do with, or even likely understands. There’s been suggestion of “The Hansen Minimum” which makes a little more sense, since he’s an astronomer by training. On that note, Leif Svalgaard predicted this, so maybe it should be his honor.
So, I’ve decided to have a poll, and I’ll take suggestions for other names than what I’ve listed.
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The “Watts Up With the Sun?” minimum
The Blame It On Bush Minimum
The Re-Think Solar Panels Minimum
…but seriously folks…
The Svalgaard-Landscheidt Anomalous Minimum (SLAM)
Just a Minimum
Anthropogenic Global Minimum
Here’s Your Minimum
But I’ll vote for ‘An Inconvenient Minimum.’
Calling it the GORE MINIMUM is the best from the standpoint of PR, and we should admit that we are having this very discussion because Gore and his fellow AGW advocates have been able to trump the facts of climate change via good PR. We need to make them eat their spin, and eat all the crap they throw at those who are really trying to let the facts speak for themselves.
When a Solar Minimum aligns with a Mental Minimum perhaps there is causation.
Could it be that the solar minimum is causing the global mental minimum witnessed at RC etc.?
Something has to be causing the Gore, Hansen, Schmidt, Lubchenco, Chu minimums.
The Landscheidt Minimum. There has been a suggestion of leave that for 2030 which he predicted. I believe he predicted the absolute minimum for 2030. Just maybe this is the start of it (i.e. a Maunder type minimum)
TG
I voted for Svalgaard Minimum on the official poll, since you said that he called it.
My fun vote would go to “Maximum Minimum,” although we’d have to wait quite a while to see if “Maximum” (longest) would apply. It’s my nod to the current spate of Orwellian newspeak.
Hi guys
Your overlooking the best name….
21st Century Minimum
I submitted “The Humbling Minimum” due to the fact that we know so little about our Universe. However, I do like “The Inconvenient Minimum”. Do not give the narcissistic Gore any more credit for anything other than being a damn, arrogant fool.
GORE Minimum. It’s not about giving him credit – it’s about rubbing it in the faces of AGW zealots.
Landscheidt or Daly (John Daly) Minimum
The Little Ice Age – err that’s right it’s not even cold because of the enhanced greenhouse effect. Still, future generations will think of the current hot planet as almost Arctic by the standards they will endure.
BTW why are you repeatedly gagging my posts. They are not rude, defamatory, or a slur on anyone?
“Jody Wilson (14:20:09)”
I think it would be more appropriate to call the last few very active cycles The Gore Maximum rather than name any minimum after him.
I don’t want to see Gore or Hansen mentioned anywhere in the history books.
Since Obama’s gonna get mentioned anyway, I’d call it the ObaMessiah Minimum.
He promised to cool the earth and lower the sea levels, didn’t he?
Maybe that will shut up the Goracle.
The Hansen-Gore Maximum,
the Landscheidt Minimum.
Landscheidt Minimum
Credit Crunch Minimum
The Clearasil minimum – not spots
If you are going to use Gore or Hansen, I think you should go with idea above of “Gore Maximum” or “Hansen Maximum”.
My suggestion is the “Elephant Minimum” – like the Elephant in the room that (most) missed or ignored.
Adolfo Giurfa (13:19:27) : “I would prefer to call it after Paul D. Jose, the ‘Jose’s Minimum.’ See his work: http://www.giurfa.com/jose.pdf”
Jose, can you see by the dawn’s early light…any real sunspots, yet?
I live in California, where we have had one of the coldest Winters in memory. I wonder if that is due to the dimming of the Sun. At any rate, it seems pretty clear that the cold spell in CA shows what is plain and obvious: The Earth is cooling off much faster than anticipated.
I refuse to acknowledge Gore or Hansen. They have created enough havoc on the Earth.
Perhaps Willie Soon Minimum? He deals a lot with Solar Physics!
landscheit-svaalgard minimum
The Hathaway Minimum
If Leif Svalgaard correctly predicted this, then he should get credit.
However, let’s wait until it’s over and see if that also matches predictions. It’s too early to give full credit at this time. Maybe the ‘Svalgaard Modern Minimum’ for now.
I’d like to change my vote and submit ‘Nothing to do with Climate Change Solar Minimum’ as an entry..