BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | 'Quiet Sun' baffling astronomers

In the mid-17th Century, a quiet spell - known as the Maunder Minimum - lasted 70 years, and led to a "mini ice-age".

This has resulted in some people suggesting that a similar cooling might offset the impact of climate change.

According to Prof Mike Lockwood of Southampton University, this view is too simplistic.

"I wish the Sun was coming to our aid but, unfortunately, the data shows that is not the case," he said.

Prof Lockwood was one of the first researchers to show that the Sun's activity has been gradually decreasing since 1985, yet overall global temperatures have continued to rise.

"If you look carefully at the observations, it's pretty clear that the underlying level of the Sun peaked at about 1985 and what we are seeing is a continuation of a downward trend (in solar activity) that's been going on for a couple of decades.

"If the Sun's dimming were to have a cooling effect, we'd have seen it by now."

Finns Losing Desire To Deal With Global Warming

According to a recent survey conducted by Helsingen Sanomat the desire of Finnish people to make personal choices aimed at slowing climate change has declined since last year. The greatest reluctance is cutting back on flying or improved use of public transport. Fewer people are willing to recycle, to sort out waste, to purchase energy-saving products or to reduce their use of cars. On the other hand, a large number of people are willing to pay a climate tax, perhaps, they regard a single tax as a simple solution to a complex issue.

Global Cooling Earth's Little-Known Threat - Health and Science - CBN News

As the Obama administration and the EPA prepare to pursue expensive solutions to keep the Earth from warming, the Earth could actually be facing a cooling trend that, if severe, would be far more destructive to food supply and human health.

"Most scientists and economists would agree that a moderate warming would probably be beneficial, and a cooling of a couple degrees would probably be very, very bad," Michaels said. "Remember that cooling it just a few degrees brings on an ice age, and that's quite a bit different than what would happen if you warmed it a few degrees."

But global cooling does not seem to be on anyone's political agenda at the moment.