Re: It's the beginning of the next Maunder Minimum.
"Its a globally accepted fact that during the middle ages the earth suddenly went a lot cooler, this is why the Thames used to freeze enough to set up a fair on it in London."
Actually, no. It was certainly colder in some places, like London, in others not so much. I believe the best consensus is that it alters local weather patterns.
"low solar activity, as observed during recent years, drives cold winters in northern Europe and the United States, and mild winters over southern Europe and Canada, with little direct change in globally averaged temperature."
http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v4/n11/full/ngeo1282.html
Biting the hand that feeds IT
