Historical past and human biology plead for warmth as a substitute of chilly – so extra watts?
History and human biology argue for heat, not cold
By Vijay Jayaraj
Those misled into believing that a warming planet is dangerous should brace themselves for a myth to be shattered: data from hundreds of scientific journals on major publishing platforms and policy reports from major governments say that cold is responsible for more deaths worldwide than hot weather.
Despite this, decades of global warming propaganda and hysteria make many people find it difficult to believe this fact. Therefore, we should be thankful that our world is warming.
The human body is made for warm weather
Humans evolved in warm environments. The body is better equipped to deal with heat than cold because it can regulate temperature through sweating and other mechanisms. However, in cold weather, our bodies have to work harder to maintain a normal temperature, which can lead to a variety of health problems.
Anecdotes of heart attacks caused by snow shoveling are common in northern climes. When exposed to cold temperatures, the body’s blood vessels constrict to conserve heat, which can increase blood pressure and put strain on the heart.
The relative dryness of cold air irritates the airways, causing inflammation and making it difficult to breathe, especially in people with pre-existing respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
So it’s no wonder that civilizations thrived when temperatures were warmer, especially when home heating was primitive or non-existent.
Lessons from Nordic agriculture in Greenland
Some of the earliest civilizations – such as those in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley – developed in warm, arid regions with fertile soil and abundant water resources. They were able to support large populations that developed sophisticated technologies such as B. Irrigation systems that enabled agriculture in dry areas.
Warmer temperatures are associated with higher crop yields, especially for crops like wheat, rice, and corn. Greater warmth lengthens the growing season and improves the rate of photosynthesis.
In contrast, colder regions such as northern Europe and Asia have historically been less hospitable to human populations. In these regions, food production was more difficult and the risk of famine and disease was higher. Life in colder regions was only favorable when there were centuries of warming phases.
An example of this is the Vikings, who developed a thriving civilization in Scandinavia and grew food in Greenland during the Medieval Warm Period. Charred grains and debris from grain threshing proved that barley was grown in Greenland by medieval Norse farmers.
As summer and winter temperatures dropped with the waning of medieval warmth, the Vikings abandoned farming and turned to seafood. “Greenland’s climate worsened during Nordic colonization,” says Eli Kintisch in Science magazine. “In response, the Norse turned from their struggling farms to the sea for food before eventually abandoning their settlements.”
Kintisch continues: “It has been a sustainable lifestyle for hundreds of years. But in the 13th century, economy and climate began to conspire against the Norse. After 1250, a cooling climate posed multiple threats to a sea-oriented society.”
Even in temperate parts of Europe, the Little Ice Age was horrific in the 16th century. “All things that grew above the earth died and starved,” reported the National Post.
“The cold was so extreme and the frost so severe and bitter that nothing in living memory has looked like it,” recalls diarist Pierre de l’Estoile.
Then, a warming that began in the 17th century and continues today restored richer harvests and a degree of food security that left time and energy for innovation and the start of the Industrial Revolution. Since then, the human population has increased tenfold.
So the idea that warming is killing the planet is wrong. In fact, directing public policy toward reducing global temperature is dangerous.
This comment was first published by BizPac Review on April 6, 2023 and can be accessed here.
Vijay Jayaraj is a Research Associate at the CO2 Coalition, Arlington, Virginia. He holds a Masters in Environmental Sciences from the University of East Anglia, UK and is based in India.
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