Greenhouse-gas emissions have probably put off the next ice age for many thousands of years. There's a minority position among climate-contrarian types that global warming is real, but it's good, because we would have otherwise been hit by the ICE DOOM by now (the position in Fallen Angels, if I recall correctly).
As far as I can tell the timing of the ice age is nonsense, it wouldn't have happened for thousands of years, but the basic principle of anthropogenic global warming killing it is sound.
I think the popularity of this position in the science-fiction community comes from a 1986 Analog article by George W. Harper called "A Little More Pollution, Please!" I recall T. A. Heppenheimer citing it as a good argument that AGW was a good thing.
Re: Praise to the anthropocene?
As far as I can tell the timing of the ice age is nonsense, it wouldn't have happened for thousands of years, but the basic principle of anthropogenic global warming killing it is sound.
I think the popularity of this position in the science-fiction community comes from a 1986 Analog article by George W. Harper called "A Little More Pollution, Please!" I recall T. A. Heppenheimer citing it as a good argument that AGW was a good thing.