Newtonian physics posits that for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. If you've been literally feeling the heat lately, you'll be able to cool down a bit this year. UN meteorologists have said that the La Nina phenomenon will cause global temperatures to decrease slightly.

Michel Jarraud, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, said that La Nina will likely continue into the summer. Thus, it will balance out the warming effect that we've been experiencing lately.

The interesting thing is that this cooling effect has prompted some to question whether the climate change theory still holds water. Jarraud, however, insisted that, despite the cooling, 2008 temperatures are still above the average for  the century. As he put it:

La Nina is part of what we call 'variability'. There has always been and there will always be cooler and warmer years, but what is important for climate change is that the trend is up; the climate on average is warming even if there is a temporary cooling because of La Nina.

Furthermore, Jarraud stated that climate change must not be considered in terms of a particular year, but over a long period of time. He pointed out that the current global temperature trend is "still very much indicative of warming."