Is Boris right about a mini ice age?

I read Boris Johnson's article in last Sunday's Telegraph, questioning whether we're entering a mini ice age, with interest.    In it he reasons whether there is any real evidence of global warming or whether we're seeing a global cooling caused by reduction of solar activity, similar to those seen in the past, and this could be the start of a mini ice age.  

He particularly drew on the knowledgeable astrophysicist, Piers Corbyn who through his business Weather Action predicts weather up to a year in advance and does not believe in man-made weather.

Part of Boris' argument in this, and previous articles, is his reminiscing over his 46 years and not remembering there ever being similarly bad weather.  This is one point I do find surprising.  I can reflect over a very similar life span and there are, like in everyone's lives, events that really stand out.  

I grew up near the coast in Devon, and my family ran two very busy butchers shops that supplied many lovely restaurants, including a number on Exmoor.  It was always essential we had a four wheel drive car and a spade to ensure those deliveries went out as snow seemed a lot more common then than it has been over a number of years.  One year particularly stands out in my memory when we enjoyed some great sledging.  Beside our house there was a large hill and we could take the sledge to the top of this hill and slide right down into the garden straight over the buried 6' fence.  The snow then was far deeper than any from more recent years.

Snow at Muddy Carrot HQ 2013

I feel Piers Corbyn makes some very important points, and we are greatly affected by the sun.  Scientists have shown the earth goes through a natural cycle of ice ages, based around its orbit around the sun and other factors such as solar flares.  However there is also evidence gathered from our ancient glaciers that show a direct correlation between CO2 levels in the atmosphere and climate.  It is difficult to take one factor in isolation  in something as complex as our weather.

Another issue that has been talked far less about in recent years is the depletion of our ozone layer.  

Ozone it is vitally important to life because it reduces biologically harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation coming from the sun.  This is the sort of rays that can cause skin cancer. Therefore, ozone loss is a serious health threat.

Scientists became aware that the ozone layer was under attack in the 1970's and one of the biggest cause was CFC's. CFCs were widely used in spray cans, as refrigerants, and as industrial cleaning and drying agents. These highly stable compounds are capable of surviving the rise to the stratosphere, where they break down our ozone layer and reduce the effectiveness of our ultraviolet screen. The ozone levels over the northern hemisphere have, in the past, been dropping by 4% per decade and these reductions were even greater over our poles.

In 1987, the international community produced  the Montreal Protocol  limiting the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances, and has led to the global banning of CFCs.  The outlook is improving and it is expected that in a little over 50 years our ozone layer may have recovered to pre 1970s levels.

Our planet is incredible.  It exists at just the right point in space to allow us to live, and for so much to flourish.  There is no doubt there are times when we’ve abused it, and it is down to our actions that a number of species of plants and animals are now extinct.  

Boris still supports reducing CO2, and, who knows, he may be right about the mini ice age (I hope not!)  One thing I feel is we should not take our planet for granted but respect it and in so doing support those that do things #sustainably.  Let’s make it easy to remain green!