Thomas Jefferson was an ardent believer in global warming, until Noah Webster demonstrated that he was confusing UHI effects with climate.
In his 1787 book, Notes on the State of Virginia, Jefferson launched into a discussion of the climate of both his home state and America as a whole. Near the end of a brief chapter addressing wind currents, rain and temperature, he presented a series of tentative conclusions: “A change in our climate…is taking place very sensibly. Both heats and colds are become much more moderate within the memory of the middle-aged. Snows are less frequent and less deep….The elderly inform me the earth used to be covered with snow about three months in every year. The rivers, which then seldom failed to freeze over in the course of the winter, scarcely ever do so now.” Concerned about the destructive effects of this warming trend, Jefferson noted how “an unfortunate fluctuation between heat and cold” in the spring has been “very fatal to fruits.”
Webster concluded by rejecting the crude warming theory of Jefferson and Williams in favor of a more subtle rendering of the data. The conversion of forests to fields, he acknowledged, has led to some microclimatic changes—namely, more windiness and more variation in winter conditions. But while snow doesn’t stay on the ground as long, that doesn’t necessarily mean the country as a whole gets less snowfall each winter: “We have, in the cultivated districts, deep snow today, and none tomorrow; but the same quantity of snow falling in the woods, lies there till spring….This will explain all the appearances of the seasons without resorting to the unphilosophical hypothesis of a general increase in heat.”
Webster’s words essentially ended the controversy. While Jefferson continued to compile and crunch temperature data after his retirement from the presidency, he never again made the case for global warming.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Americas-First-Great-Global-Warming-Debate.html
Why would he push global warming? He didn’t have government grants to apply for to support his research. He had to pay for it himself.
Back when science was about discovery, and not profit.
Jefferson: Not wise enough to be correct every time (as no one is), but wise enough to accept that possibility.
Alarmists, here’s your chance to be like one of this nation’s great minds.
Antarctic ice news appeared on Drudge Report as the site topped a billion hits so Noah Jr. now has ammo to tickle Tom with, worldwide.
Very interesting. Thank you.
Is Steve Mosher aware of this phenomenon?
Way off-topic but here is something about William Jefferson Clinton you gotta see in today’s NY Post [link]. Choice excerpts …
Fat Bastard has no comment 😉
Nor does President DingleBarry who approves of Bubba’s lying ads.
Multiple links to flag Steve.
Back to Thomas Jefferson vs Noah Webster. That was a big scoop of awesome.
Covered in awesome sauce.
First climate change debate in the United States. Realists 1, Alarmists 0.
And alarmists have been running away ever since.
I bet Jefferson cherry picked his tree ring data too. Oh what I wouldn’t give to hack into his email account and see all the snarky emails he exchanged with Gavin Schmidt.
Great post! Loved it!
Was it a Cherry tree! 😆