The earth experiences what scientists refer to as thermohaline circulation but most people know as the global oceanic conveyer belt. The water deep below the surface doesn't sit still. Differences in temperature create movement, just like in the atmosphere, and water with varying salt content moves to balance denser and lighter particles. The most commonly known example of thermohaline circulation is the Gulf Stream, which spreads warm water from the Gulf of Mexico upwards towards Iceland and Northern Europe. When this slowed in the 19th century Britain and other places in the Northern Hemisphere experienced the "Little Ice Age." It rarely snows in Britain anymore, but it's almost always depicted as snowing or cold in Dickensian London. This is well-known, as opposed to the Clunked Exotics post we brought you today. We thought of it as a good thing, but engineerd channels Dickens to see both sides of it.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
There were a king with a big ears and a queen with a fancy dress, on the throne of America; there were an emperor with a strong jaw and an empress with a fair face, on the throne of Japan. In both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever.
It was the year of Our Lord two thousand and nine. Political revelations were conceded to America at that favoured period, as at this. The BMW 850i had recently attained his seventeenth blessed birthday, of whom a prophetic manager in the auto industry had heralded with sublime appearance by announcing that it would be better to crush it to benefit Detroit. Even a TVR had been laid only a round twenty years, after growling out its mufflers, as the supercars of this very year last past (supernaturally deficient in originality) growled out theirs. Mere legislations in the earthly order of events had lately come to the American Crown and People, from a misguided Congress in America: which, strange to relate, have proved more important to the Jalopic race than by any communications yet received by the EPA.
Let's hope the Cash For Clunkers stops and the Gulf Stream keeps moving.