Nick L

Let's just hope Fusion can be made possible, that would surely solve the world's energy needs. One plant would produce an immense amount of energy.

I remember seeing an article on a car that runs on air - compressed air that is. Now that has to be THE cleanest car! I remember seeing an article on a car that runs on air - compressed air that is. Now that has to be THE cleanest car!

Yeah to get the hydrogen to make the energy, you first need to put energy into the process to get the hydrogen. There must be something good about it though if manufacturers are putting hydrogen cars into production.

Yeah outer space may not be the best solution. But something needs to be done soon to provide our energy, fossil fuels won't last forever and most renewables just don't provide enough juice.

In my opinion nuclear is the way forward. It is clean, fuel is abundant and it provides huge amounts of energy. Providing it is strictly monitored this is the solution to our energy problems.

Well although I would love a lot of snow, I would just like it to seasonal! Crisp, cold and sunny would be fine for me. It also can't be doing the wildlife any favours - mild winters luring them into a false sense of security and the usual early spring cold snap can cause them real harm. But as I said we surely have to have a cold winter at some point. The question is when is that point?

Because we have already seen that it is starting to get out of hand. General debate that's fine, but I don't want to start a slanging match. Pretty much the whole of science is based on theory, we don't "know" anything. We have to do with very strong theories.

We had a cooler (in comparison to recent years) summer last year, but that didn't help us out for the forthcoming winter =[ We can always hope, but the mild winters surely have to come to an end sometime...surely?

But he just posted several links completely destroying your view point. Sorry but the vast majority of scientists in the world agreeing that excess CO2 is harmful is enough proof for me. Either you are winding us up or totally ignoring the FACT that the negatives of excess CO2 greatly outweigh the benefits. That is your view and I respect that, but I think you need to look at the evidence available and then reconsider your stance on the matter. And please, I don't want to start a whole big argument over this. Can we just all agree to differ and draw a line under it?

Statistically speaking yes...but this IS the British weather we are talking about here!

Yup, millions starving, major cities flooded and millions homeless. What a great benefit.

You know what, I am usually a pessimist, but I am going for a slightly below average winter.

The thing is, I have never seen a news story on the BBC going against the global warming theory. The closest they came was an Horizon programme a few years ago on the potential Gulf Stream shut down - but even that would be caused by global warming. Yes the BBC SHOULD, but they most probably WON'T. Unless the UK gets covered in 6 feet of snow they will most likely ignore it. Unfortunately I just think this is a natural fluctuation, too early to call anything just yet.

The doom and gloom brigade won't speak a word of it...

Unfortunately though not everybody lives in the Highlands so last winter was dreadful I am not going to take this as fact because as we all know it is difficult to predict beyond 5 days let alone 5 months. I praise the Met Office for sticking their necks out. Even an average winter will be a nice change to the mild dross.

Only time will tell I guess.

Well most of the past 12 years have been very warm so it really isn't too hard to be cooler than them. Interesting stats though, shows that despite a warming climate there are the odd declines in temperature.

I applaud the Met Office for sticking their necks out at the risk of being shot down! I remember when they forecast the 2005/06 winter to be colder than normal and the media blew it all out of proportion. They can't win really.

Yeah I thought it was the Antarctic that was the desert. I have heard some parts receive only a few cm of snowfall per year. Still more than the Midlands

Wow 0.5c below average, that's like being stuck in a freezer compared to the past 2 winters! Anybody know the exact date when the Met Office release their initial predictions?

Crikey, winter already? Couldn't wait to see the back of the last one... I hope the Met Office call a below average one this year, at least it will give us some hope then. And not below average by recent standards (i.e. mild instead of exceptionally mild) - we are long overdue a cracker.

These days you are lucky to get snow in January let alone July...

Wow that does look menacing.

Wow, very interesting read! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7477310.stm Could Mars have harboured life in the past?

Same as last winter, the winter before that, the winter before that etc.. Mild, wet and horrible. Typical British "winter".