The average temperature of Earth fell about 1.25 F (0.7 C) during 2007. If that trend were to continue for 20 years civilization would be in peril, far more so than if the warming projected by the UN IPCC were to happen over the next century. A NASA Astronaut, an Australian named Carpenter, points out the danger of a cooling trend, and has suggested that it is time to investigate potential actions to slow the cooling. If the cooling trend does continue, it will be interesting to see how politicians react, as they "nuance" their positions. My guess is that policies of "rent seekers" that get enacted in the next few years will be continued long after it is apparent that they do nothing productive. At some time in the future these policies, such as "carbon trading" will be regarded in the same light as ancient societies sacrificing virgins to the gods. Both of these practices make elites "feel good" even though they produce no useful result.