Kaipo, you beat me to it. I was sitting here Googling some information on “the Little Ice Age” when I noticed you had already posted on same basic topic.
Your comment in the European winter thread broached an interesting point. “Little ice ages” have been discussed as possible events forcing changes in human history, particularly in Europe. Some speculate such a cooling event resulted in Europe’s “Dark Ages.” This Wikipedia entry talks about three such events, the last ending in the 1800s.
Whatever the cause, then or now, there’s no doubt a repeat of such events — lasting years, decades or even longer — would again force changes in humanity’s way of doing things, and have ripple effects worldwide in economies and probably all other arenas.
Addition: Just to point out the obvious, one bad bout of winter such has Europe has seen in the past month doesn’t mean anything from a statistical point of view, so I’m not saying Europe is headed for another LIA. But when you seen that much snow in Marseille, you go, “Dang!” 
