Ancient Greece's 'global warming'

American Thinker ^ | May 08, 2009 | Ben-Peter Terpstra

[neverdem]

In Heaven + Earth (Global Warming: The Missing Science), Ian Plimer, Professor of Mining Geology at The University of Adelaide, Australia, asks us to embrace big-picture science views; for to recognize our limits is a sign of maturity. "Climate science lacks scientific discipline," says the pro-amalgamation Professor, and in order to see more clearly we need to adopt an interdisciplinary approach. This requires humbleness.

In Chapter 2: History, Plimer travels back in time, thousands of years, in fact, to debunk Gore's catastrophic global warming myths. I particularly like his research on the ancient Greeks. For Plato (427-347 BC) advanced the position that global warming occurs at regular intervals in Timaeus, and his famous pupil Aristotle (382-322 BC), referred to climate changes in Meteorologica.

Plimer's research points are fascinating:

"Theophrastus (374-287 BC), in turn a student of Aristotle, followed the tradition with De ventis and observed that Crete's mountains had previously produced fruit and grain whereas at the time he wrote, the winters were more severe and had more snow falls. In De causis plantarum, Theophrastus also noted that the Greek city of Larissus once had plentiful olive trees but falling temperatures killed them." 

It wasn't Plato's Hummer, after all.

The Holocene Warming a (11,600-8,500bp). The Egyptian Cooling (8,500-8,000bp). The Holocene Warming b (8,000-5,600bp). The Akkadian Cooling (5,600-3,500AD). The Minoan Warming (3,500-3,200bp). The Bronze Age Cooling (3,200-2,500bp). The Roman Warming (500BC-535AD). The Dark Ages (535-900AD). The Medieval Warming (900AD-1300 AD). The Little Ice Age (1300AD-1850AD). Recall that the Greeks survived the warmings without air-conditioners.  "History," writes Plimer, "cannot be rewritten just because it does not fit a computer model with a pre-ordained conclusion." 

We‘re not the "special generation," and we don't have special powers to control the earth's temperature through special one-world government plans and cap-and-trade tax scams.  Indeed, the ancients, from the Egyptians to the Greeks, these "enlightened pagans," as I call them, were far more level-headed than today's tree-first Democrats.

There are many reasons why civilisations rise and fall, and in my view, thousands of stories to be told. But let's be real because certain patterns stand out more than others, from droughts and floods, to broken sexual norms and dangerously low-birth rates.

Back to the ancient Greeks though: "Greek mythology makes reference to deforestation, flooding, siltation of irrigation channels, salination and the collapse of the Sumerian city-states. Written records dating back 5000 years ago describe declining crop yields and decreasing production of wheat relative to the most salt-tolerant barley. Patches of soil turned white, suggesting salt accumulation on the surface of agricultural lands. The drier conditions made it impossible to flush salt from fields."

To my way of thinking, history undermines bad science and supports good science. Again, the Woodstock generation's thirst for specialness is way beyond narcissism. Plimer too recognizes:

"The Mycenaean civilisation fell at the expense of the rise of the Assyrian, Phoenician and Greek civilisations. Records from Troy show that it was cold, with famine around 1259 to 1241 BC and no recovery until 800 BC."

However, I wonder if celebrities and pop scientists are capable of humbling themselves and seeing themselves as small-bit actors, specks of sand, in a larger play, spanning thousands of years, where cool periods and warm periods, visit us.

One day, the Hollywood generation (and I'm singling out limousine lefties here), will thank their lucky stars, or whatever they worship, that they missed the cold Dark Ages, for it was "a terrible time to be around." Just read about the weather of Constantinople by Procopius, or similar observations made from a more southern city by one John of Ephesus. Plimer adds:

"Around 540 AD, trees almost stopped growing. Flooded bog oaks and timber from this time have very narrow growth rings. This was a global event because it is also recorded in tree rings from Ireland, England, Siberia, North America and South America. Snow fell in Mediterranean Europe and coastal China and there were savage storms in Scandinavia and South America."

Obviously, there are, little warming periods within cold periods, and vice versa. And what should one make of the ancient Olympics, and especially athletic nudity, which was introduced (or popularised) in 720 BC, according to some historians? "Usually said to have commenced in 776 BC, they were a minor carnival at first," writes the historian, Geoffrey Blainey.  Were athletes punishing themselves in freezing temperatures, or sun tanning?

"Whether competing as runners, throwers, wrestlers or chariots-drivers, the Greek athletes originally wore clothes but eventually nearly all preferred to be naked in the thronged arena," not to be confused with the thong arena. Did, natural warmings popularise the early Olympics? Little wonder, then, that Gore, the debate closer, ignores Greece's history.

[Always Right]

Blasphemy! The earth’s temperature was perfectly constant until man-made global warming.

[OCC]

An inconvenient history?

[decimon]

We‘re not the "special generation,"...

That line is always used on the young. It makes what they do seem mandatory.

[Young Werther]

I agree that we are in a climate change period. Each day when the sun comes yesterday’s climate is history and today’ climate willbe different! Clouds, percepitation, wind and all the other STUFF changes and there ain’t nothing we can do about it!

[reg45]

All that global warming was caused when the Greeks went from one horse chariots to two horse chariots.

[centurion316]

Climate science lacks scientific discipline

BFO - Blinding Flash of the Obvious. Of course there is no discipline, there is too much money being thrown around. If you are practicing disciplined, reasonable, responsible science you will not get your share. For all of the those poor, impoverished astro-physicists out there who are completely clueless about climate science, the temptation is too much to bear. Their financial situtations have improved markedly since they became AGW cultists.

[Bookie1066]

The Little Ice Age (1300AD-1850AD)
It was that and Charles Dickens that gave the world the image of a traditional White Christmas. Now how often does London have snow for Christmas. Once every 20 - 30 years?

[RipSawyer]

“All that global warming was caused when the Greeks went from one horse chariots to two horse chariots.”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Absolutely, I speak from experience, having driven and ridden as a passenger on one horse and two horse wagons. I can state without a doubt that the two horse team produces more hot gases, you definitely want a two horse wagon on a cold day.

[hinckley buzzard]

History has shown that civilization advances on the back of global warming, and suffers during the coolings.

[neverdem]

GGG?

[SunkenCiv]

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[spyone]

Great post. Never heard about the weather in Constantinople, I am curious about that...gonna track it down. Have read about the deforestation of the Greek isles. Anyone who has ever travelled through there would be suprised that these barren islands were once completely forrested. Likewise, at the time of Alexander the Great, there were still lions in Macedonia. The wild boar in Europe is well known and written about.

[xcamel]

FReepmail me to get on or off

Ping me if you find one I've missed.

---

A must read..

[Kenny Bunk]

Warning.... Global Warming .... Warning
NPR on Endangered Polar Bear Kick

Just when it looked as if common sense was coming up a notch or two in the polls, NPR has gone back to the North Pole, only to discover that the cuddly carnivore is losing habitat due to Global Warming!

This is serious! There is a great anger of Mexican Flu spreading from infected Polar Bear carcasses which are predicted to be washing ashore in Foret Myers over the next weekend.

[Kenny Bunk]

Warning.... Global Warming .... Warning
NPR on Endangered Polar Bear Kick

Just when it looked as if common sense was coming up a notch or two in the polls, NPR has gone back to the North Pole, only to discover that the cuddly carnivore is losing habitat due to Global Warming!

This is serious! There is a great anger of Mexican Flu spreading from infected Polar Bear carcasses which are predicted to be washing ashore in Foret Myers over the next weekend.

[Dustbunny]

Gee, well, dah, this is amazing. The earth was actually warmer sometimes and cooler/colder other times. Wow, wonder if the sun had anything to do with it? /sarc

[gleeaikin]

Regarding the weather in Constantinople, I think this event was also reported by Cassiodorus (Google this) who complained about abnormal cold, a blue dimness to the atmosphere, and crop failures. His descriptions made it sound like a possible major volcanic or boloid event. Interestingly, a similar blueish atmosphere occurred in Europe after the eruption of the Laki Fissure in Iceland in 1783. Benjamin Franklin, who was in France at the time suspected it was caused by volcanic activity in Iceland. He was right, and subsequent bad weather and crop failures may have helped percipitate the Franch Revolution.

Regarding the deforestaton of the Greek isles and the failure of the Indus Valley civilizations, cutting of trees by people for firewood and pottery and matalurgical uses was probably responsible. Furthermore, in many areas, and probably in the Indus Valley, once the trees were gone and irrigation was engaged in it probably led to salt poisoning of the earth. Thus, whether we belief in global warming or not, the message is quite clear that we have to treat the earth’s resources with care and good sense.

[gleeaikin]

Decided to check out Cassiodorus strange weather on Google. There were a number of links. Here are two. One refers to an 11 year climate disruption.

http://books.google.com/books?id=UQWG2YKW6iwC&pg=PA179&lpg=PA179&dq=cassiodorus+on+strange+weather&source=bl&ots=ztS4G98b9F&sig=MRgIEHElVWzkUFlVBYENyzhlX9M&hl=en&ei=evkISsrtM5Gktwe5n-XpCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3#PPA179,M1, See pages 180 and 181. Or maybe 179 and 180. Darn these senior moments.

http://dml.cmnh.org/2004Feb/msg00235.html

[colorado tanker]

Interesting. I hadn’t seen the cycles carried this far back in time before.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

[coconutt2000]

I bet each time the climate started to change strange religions popped up with priests promising to “stop” the changes “if only” the people would turn over all their possessions, lives, and efforts to the “temple” as a sign of faith and submission to the will of the god(s).

Geez, sounds familiar...

[NELSON111]

BTTTFL