Introduction
During the fourteenth century, a devastating climatic event occurred which played a major role in shaping human life. This event is known as the Little Ice Age. The term “Little Ice Age” (LIA) arose initially from observations that glaciers in Europe and other areas had stopped retreating and were instead growing during several periods within the last 1000 years (Free & Robock, 1999). By the 17th century, temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere had fallen half a degree Celsius compared to medieval times (Powell, 2012). Evidence of the Earth’s climatic record is exemplified through tree rings and ice cores.
The Little Ice Age significantly impacted global climate and vegetation. For example, widespread reliance on subsidence farming meant that bad weather and shortened growing seasons led to food shortages, even famines (Curtis, 2001). The Little Ice Age believed to have been a part of a recurring climatic cycle that shapes past and present survival. The following essay will examine the significance of the Little Ice Age, and will
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In addition, Curtis (2001) noted that while this did not directly cause major historical events, it propelled critical social, political, and economic developments. During this time, the Little Ice Age brought unprecedented cold and drought to the eastern capital Mediterranean, leading to horrific famine and disease (White, 2008). The frigid temperatures and unreliable climate consequently resulted in unsuitable conditions for maximal crop yield. This is seen in the Celali Rebellion in 1596, which was mainly due to an inability to extract supplies from the country side (White, 2008). In other parts of the world, the famine drove France’s commoners to Paris demanding affordable food, fueling the chaos, leading to the French Revolution (Cambou & Nelson,
The Black Death struck Europe in a time of great despair. "Although a `Great Famine' struck northern Europe between 1315 and 1322, nothing prepared Europeans for the horrendous onslaught of the Black Death" (Aberth, 2). The famine had caused a massive hunger shortage from which Europe had yet to recove...
In his essay, “Global Warming is Eroding Glacial Ice,” Revkin is arguing that global warming is constantly changing the ...
The environment has become a popular topic this year due to our on-going drought. It has always been a serious issue; something Saukko informs us in her sarcastic essay “How to Poison the Earth”. She uses sarcasm and irony in her essay hoping her readers will do the complete opposite of what she is saying because of the stress she puts on the harming chemicals we use every day. We do not appreciate our environment and take it for granted. This ideal is what Ehrlich's essay “Chronicles of Ice” focuses on by using analogies and scientific definitions to describe aspects of glaciers. The melting of the glaciers introduces us to the topic of global warming and how our society is doing nothing to stop it from getting worse. Gawande’s “The Cancer-Cluster
Americas by 14,000 ago” (O’Brien 12), after large portions of North America encountered the last ice age, which
People are responsible for higher carbon dioxide atmosphere emissions, while the Earth is now into the Little Ice Age, or just behind it. These factors together cause many years discussions of the main sources of climate changes and the temperature increasing as a result of human been or natural changes and its consequences; even if its lead to the global warming, or to the Earth’s cooling. In their articles, “Global Warming Is Eroding Glacial Ice” by Andrew C. Revkin and “Global Warming Is Not a Threat to Polar Ice” by Philip Stott, both authors discuss these two theories (Revkin 340; Stott 344). Revkin is right that global warming is taking place. Significant increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is due to human activities combined with natural factors such as volcanic emissions and solar radiation – all together they lead to climate changes and temperatures rising. At the same time, other factors such as deforestation contribute to environmental changes for some glaciers not less than air pollution. However, during global warming not all regions of the planet are affected in the same way, local warming and cooling are both possible during these changes.
The glaciers have been through a minimum of four glacial periods. They’ve been through the Little Ice age, which commenced around 4,000 years ago. Marks of retreating glacier ice are seen in the rock-strewn and sculpted peaks valleys. The land and bodies of water that the retreating ice has created a new display of animal and plant communities.
...). In addition, France experienced bad weather and poor harvests during the year 1788 and, in turn, caused prices and unemployment to rise. This was followed by a harsh winter when many starved and this led to food riots and only increased public dissent towards the crown.
During the medieval warm period the spread of the Norse occurred. The Norse raided, traded, ventured from Scandinavia across the North Sea into France along with the Low Countries. The Norse was known as peaceful traders who kept their knowledge close on a personal level. They kept their knowledge from generations to generations. Their knowledge was always in constant use. “Nose navigators lived in intimate association with winds and waves, watching sea and sky, sighting high glaciers from afar by the characteristics ice-blink that reflects from them, predicting ice conditions from years of experience navigating near the pack” (Fagan, 5). The climate
which of course led to high prices for bread. The shortage of bread was quite possibly the central cause of the revolution. Inadequate Conditions in the countryside had forced rural residents to move into Paris, and the city was overcrowded and filled with the hungry and disaffected. The snares are not affected. The peasants suffered the most from the economic and
The foundation of the Great Lakes began around three billion years ago, which is known as the Precambrian Era. The Precambrian Era contains numerous ecological events, which consists of volcanic activity to erosion to the mountains and hills seen today being formed. Then during the Pleistocene Epoch or known as the “Ice Age, occurred between 1.6 million and 10,000 years ago. At least four times during the Pleistocene Epoch, large masses of ice advanced and retreated over the surface of what is now North America. As the glaciers advanced, giant sheets of ice flowed across the land, leveling mountains and carving out massive ...
Many of the French people were left without homes, food or livestock, they were about to face a harsh winter and were unsure if they had enough seeds to plant crops the following year. The climatic changes that occurred over Europe had drastic consequences for agriculture, resulting in malnutrition which pre-disposed the populace to disease. Inflation increased and famine soon spread across Europe, resulting in many deaths. Around 1339, Europe’s population began to increase, this growth began to surpass the capacity of the land to feed its populace. Therefore, a severe economic crisis began to emerge....
Throughout history climates have drastically changed. There have been shifts from warm climates to the Ice Ages (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009, p.204). Evidence suggests there have been at least a dozen abrupt climate changes throughout the history of the earth. There are a few suspected reasons for these past climate changes. One reason may be that asteroids hitting the earth and volcanic eruptions caused some of them. A further assumption is that 22-year solar magnetic cycles and 11-year sunspot cycles played a part in the changes. A further possibility is that a regular shifting in the angle of the moon orbiting earth causing changing tides and atmospheric circulation affects the global climate (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009, p.205). Scientific studies suggest that all these played a role in past global warming and cooling periods. Today, however, there is a lot of conflict on whether humans are causing a global warming that could be disastrous to humans and all species of plants and animals on this earth. This paper will first explain the greenhouse effect, then take a look at both sides argument, and, finally, analyze the effect of global warming on world-wide sustainability
...e harsh weather destroyed several crops causing people to live without food for several days. Further wrong choice of product, low incomes due to low or nil yields all of which affected the farmers and the poor. At this time the noble people and the rich were never affected since they could pay high prices which the common man could not do. People moved to cities in search of work which in turn affected the already low production. Therefore food shortage was also one of the main reasons for the revolution to start in France.
Thousands of species have become extinct over the last four decades as a result of changes in land use and as a result of global warming. Whether or not the millions of species can adapt and evolve to climate changes is debatable. As this brief overview will report, the human species is not adapting well to the changes. It must be remembered that increases in the levels of carbon dioxide are certainly responsible for the risk many species face, but so is the way land is used, e.g., rain forest destruction. There is a feedback loop wherein plant life and the climate are interdependent. Each affects the other. When forests are cut down, temperatures in that area will rise. Rising temperatures cause other plant life requiring cooler temperatures To die off.
People say you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Truth is, you know what you had, you just never thought you would lose it. The theme for the documentary “The Inconvenient Truth” by Al Gore and the article “Warm, Warmer, Warmest” by Kristof, revolves around trying to bring awareness on global warming and how it is human responsibility to act in attempt to stop global warming as much as they are provoking it. The purpose for both is to attempt to wake up the people about global issues. Both of their audiences involve everyone considering that humans are responsible for the on-going issue. For “The Inconvenient Truth” the tone tends to be serious but not as aggressive as it was for “Warm, Warmer, Warmest”. Al Gore in his presentation