Comments on: The Team versus Stott et al 2004

By: Steve Sadlov

Steve Sadlov — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 01:41:35 +0000

RE: #30 – Historical revisionism since the Renaissance has lumped the entire period from say, 400ish AD, until late 1300s into one big “Dark Age.” In essence, the revisionists (who had specific agendas in breaking with the past, most prominently, after Martin Luther arose) inflated the real Dark Ages to last an additional 500 years. On top of all that, most people today are so historically illiterate that they tend to, themselves, blur everything from the end of the Roman Empire’s time of power until the age of discovery together. How can anyone, for example, emerge from the Metro onto Ille St. Louise, see the excellent collection of buildings built between 1100 and 1400 AD, and not be in awe? Clearly, those who built them had resources and knowledge, not to mention, enough self esteem as individuals and as an overarching society, to invest in multi generational contruction projects whose outputs were successfully designed to last for thousands of years with proper maintenance. The notion of a poor society, with opressive clergy leading it, in fear of the future, is utterly incorrect, when describing the great builders of the period 800 – 1400 AD. Indeed, it must have been a time of warmth and riches. Those grand cathedrals still don’t need much Air Con.

By: Chris Wright

Chris Wright — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 23:03:56 +0000

In a short article in the British Sunday Telegraph, Katie Grant (a historian) made an interesting observation: that, as the medieval optimum faded life expectancy in England fell from 48 to 38. The Black Death probably didn’t help, but she stated it was equally due to the cold.

Isn’t it strange how, in some quarters, it seems cold is good, warm is bad? In England the climate has grown noticeably warmer over the last 40 or 50 years. As I don’t enjoy the cold I think it’s great!

In the Channel 4 program (Swindle) a speaker made some points about the medieval warm period. One of his points didn’t work so well as now there is in fact a thriving English wine industry that has sprung up during the current warm period. But one phrase he used has stuck in my memory: he described the period as ‘a time of riches’. I think that about says it all. How can Gore and his followers get it so wrong?

By: beng

beng — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:03:46 +0000

RE 15:

Ken, the Milankowitch cycle ~10 kya produced highest summertime temps (relative) in the NH & the coolest winter temps (the sun was closest in July). The SH was the opposite condition — coolest summer & warmest winter conditions afa solar insolation. Good for melting summer ice in NH, but opposite in SH.

The Milankowitch cycle at the present is pretty much opposite as ~10 kya — orbital distance from the sun is now a max in July in NH. Just my opinion, but some aspects of this, like the LIA being the coldest part of the present Holocene, would lead to think that the current interglacial could end anytime soon.

By: welikerocks

welikerocks — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:03:08 +0000

Yep just google “Holocene optimum and civilization” together.
Contrary to the RC world experts, “holocene optimum” is not an outdated term at all.

By: John Hekman

John Hekman — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:00:59 +0000

…and CO2 fertilization!!

By: John Hekman

John Hekman — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:59:42 +0000

One of my favorite books ever is William McNeill’s “The Rise of the West.” He charts the development of civilization through cycles of opening and closing of the “ecumene”, i.e. the various parts of the civilized world. There was a closing of the ecumene (coming together) during the Roman warm period, then breaking off afterward. Another closing took place at the end of the Medieval Warm Period, as a result of accumulated wealth and the search for luxuries in the East.

In the last twenty years the world has seen the greatest movement in history towards eliminating hunger, due to the Green Revolution that was aided by, what else, warmer temperatures.

By: Raj K

Raj K — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:53:43 +0000

That is what upsets me about the hasty current climate change bandwagon. Their perspective is too narrow, and their time frame is too short. They cherry pick their data, and use political pressure to prevent pubication of contrary viewpoints. Just like realclimate censors contrary points of view, in publications censorship is rampant.

This will eventually blow over, but one wonders how much damage to the politcal and economic climate, to say nothing of science, will be done.

By: Chris H

Chris H — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:45:00 +0000

Another example of the changing climate at this time is a Roman villa I have visited near our house in SW France. This villa was abandoned in the late Roman period due to decline in food production. The design is clearly ill suited to the current climate and would be uninhabitable during the winter today. The living rooms are only partly roofed and open onto internal courtyards without windows or doors. There was under floor heating but I can’t see that helping much when the outside temperature is close to 0C and the rooms are open to the elements. The design would make for a great summer residence today but apparently it was inhabited all year round.

By: Chris H

Chris H — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:30:52 +0000

#21 I’ve also seen this cold period put forward as the reason for the westward migrations of the various peoples that destroyed the western Roman empire. The Sassanid Persian empire was coming under similar pressure from the east at the same time.

By: Steve Sadlov

Steve Sadlov — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:12:12 +0000

RE: #21 – Also, more primitive cultures driven by the increasing cold (and dry) conditions on the steppes, driven southwestward. The furthest advance was the Battle of Catalaunian fields. A cautionary tale for our own times. Yes, I wrote that. We are ill prepared for another cold period – we (the collective we) are so caught up in obsessing about AGW that if we get hit, instead, by a cold period, we’ll be caught with our proverbial knickers down.