Is The Sun Preparing to Enter Hibernation?

The Earth's star, Sol, passes through natural cycles of magnetic activity. During a particularly slow sunspot cycle known as the Maunder Minimum, the Earth experienced the Little Ice Age.

There is talk about of an extended solar minimum occurring, or perhaps a recurrence of a Dalton or Maunder type minimum. There are signs that the sun’s activity is slowing. The solar wind has been decreasing in speed, and this is yet another indicator of a slowing in the suns magnetic dynamo.

...One thing is certain, based on past climate history and solar history, if in fact the suns magnetic activity slows, or collapses and we enter a prolonged period of little or no sunspot activity, we’ll see a global cooling trend.

Source

The climate of Earth is subject to many influences. While many climate scientists have won big-money research grants and considerable public fame by emphasizing the influence of anthropogenic CO2 on climate, in reality it is likely that many influences largely ignored by contemporary climate modelers will easily eclipse the effect of anthropogenic CO2 on world climate. Current climate modelers have a serious case of "tunnel vision." Time and continued observations are likely to cure this malady, although the subsequent weaning from big-money research grants is likely to be painful for them--unless they can dream up another "crisis-du-jour."

Hat tip Hall of Record

An interesting question: Does the Southern Hemisphere's exceptionally cold winter predict a coming cold winter for the Northern Hemisphere?