For 250 years starting around the year 900AD, the Anasazi had the dominant culture in what is now the southwest US. Their structures at Chaco Canyon were the largest buildings in North America until the 19th century.
They were driven out of Chaco Canyon by 175 years of nearly continuous drought between 1125 and 1300. Was this drought caused by CO2? Probably not.
We are fortunate that we live in a period of time when the climate is so mild. What is unfortunate is the return to ignorance and superstition.
Roger Pielke Sr. had an interesting post on his blog a few months back. It looked at the projections for precipitation variability in the American Southwest predicted by climate models going forward 100 years. Roger looked at the paleo record of the last 1000 years and noted that the droughts that occurred naturally were much more severe than the worst case scenarios of the GCM projections.
Nice.
between 1125 and 1300
The Medieval Warm Period. (which only happened in part of Greenland and part of Europe ;O) )
Chaco Canyon, 20 miles down an awful dirt road, 75 miles to the nearest street light, so quiet you can hear the flight of birds. A National Park not to be missed. A truly amazing place. One of the reasons we RV for 7 months a year.
Shit happens.
This is not the only civilization that disappeared because of hot and cold phases.
Our modern society however is highly adaptive.
We create well functioning cities from the Polar region to the deserts.
Ignorance and superstition is from all times.
Sometimes an election can make a big difference.
See: http://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/2010/10/31/more-good-news-from-the-guardian/
Did they migrate to Grand Gulch? Don’t know the history. But hiked thru Grand Gulch during college. Unbelievably cool place, if you haven’t been there. Anasazi ruins thruout. The geology in that entire area of the San Rafael swell is amazing.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.myparkphotos.com/photos/images/2009.06.17/45562.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.myparkphotos.com/parks/Grand-Gulch-Cedar-Mesa-Plateau.html&usg=__VVu-a_yWmpY4zPR1ia4gx_uy-80=&h=437&w=650&sz=308&hl=en&start=75&sig2=tgC5Q72F6dkYUbSpJJ3-gg&zoom=0&tbnid=Lwe8SxQzjvUIiM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=137&ei=RSXOTKamG4ycsQO90L3UDg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DGrand%2BGulch,%2BUT%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1004%26bih%3D553%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C2245&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=451&vpy=227&dur=303&hovh=92&hovw=137&tx=116&ty=71&oei=GCTOTK-rAoeosAO41aHTDQ&esq=5&page=6&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:75&biw=1004&bih=553
Earth is old. Very very old. We don’t need to save it. It will be here long after we’re gone.
good gawd. Sorry about that URL.
Where once there were high priests standing before frightened masses, speaking of the knowledge they gained from an examination of signs revealed in chosen animal entrails, we now can experience that same excitement from climate scientists standing before us, revealing the knowledge they have gained from a chosen computer model.
OT, but related
Anyone see the documentary “Old News” about Europeans in America long before Columbus?
http://onter.net/videos.html
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=kscottm
AAM:
Do you mean the colony in Vinland which is now Nova Scotia in the middle of the MWP.
See here for more information:
http://www.mnh.si.edu/vikings/voyage/subset/vinland/archeo.html
Sorry I got my countries mixed up. It was Newfoundland and Labrador.
I have not read that for a while.
No, they were in the central USA 1000 years before Colombus made it to the Americas. Go to the web site I linked. Get the video. It will be worth it.
link to DVD
http://onter.net/dvd.html
It appears they allow you to make copies and the sleeve for the DVD case.
I am currently investigating the evidence of periodic shifts of the ITCZ (which I suspect had a lot to do with the extended drought). Although the Anasazi area is north of the current ITCZ northern seasonal extent, its related influence likely extends in terms of the shifts of atmospheric circulation zones.
Since when did all climate change require it to be CO2?
Brendan, since the Hockey Stick and Al Gore’s power point presentation with the aid of a cherry picker. Will you be writing up a response criticising those that promoted CO2 as the dominate factor on global temperatures?
Brendon:
When did they find real world evidence that CO2 has been the primary driver of climate.
Historic records provide evidence that historical weather patterns were more extreme than what we are experiencing or have since the early 70s when AGW was to have started.