<p>It&rsquo;s the end of the world&hellip;again. According to European scientists, a &ldquo;mini ice age&rdquo; is just around the corner. ;</p>
<p>Last week, a team of researchers revealed a model showing that Earth may be plummeting towards a &ldquo;mini ice age.&rdquo; These all-too-familiar predictions about global warming and cooling are usually too far in the future for us to worry about now, but this &ldquo;mini ice age&rdquo; is predicted to hit us in just 15 years. ;</p>
<p>According to professor Valentina Zharkova, a decrease in solar activity will cause the ice age. She used a &ldquo;double dynamo&rdquo; model to explain her theory during the annual National Astronomy Meeting held earlier this month in Llandudno, Wales. ;</p>
<p>The model shows a drop in solar flares and sunspots in the year 2030 caused by two magnetic waves cancelling each other out. This exact phenomenon is believed to have caused the &ldquo;Maunder Minimum,&rdquo; the time period from 1645-1715 during which temperatures dropped so low that the River Thames froze and remained solid for 7 weeks.  ;</p>
<p>The ;modern world may face its own &ldquo;Maunder Minimum,&rdquo; between the years 2030 and 2040 with long, bitter winters and frozen rivers. At least we have central heating. ;</p>
<p>While climate change advocates continue to preach about greenhouse gases and global warming, professor Zharkova assures us that her model is at least 97% accurate. Either way, Zharkova and her team of scientists seem to have much stronger evidence to back up their claims than those who warn of increasing temperatures. ;</p>
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