Watching a fascinating documentary on the History Channel called Little Ice Age, Big Chill, about the worldwide chilling of the atmosphere that extended over five centuries and the effect that it had on the physical and sociological history of Europe and the Americas. The Irish, for instance, took up potatoes as a main crop because the Little Ice Age had destroyed other crops. Beer replaced wine as a primary drink because barley survived the climate change where grapes did not. The bitter winters that George Washington and his troops had to endure at Valley Forge and that Napoleon and his troops had to endure in Russia were caused by the Little Ice Age. In Shakespeare's time the Thames froze in the winter and "Frost Fairs" were held on the ice. In the "Year Without A Summer," 1816, acerbated by the explosion of Mount Tambora, snow fell in June, July and August in New England and caused mass migrations to the west. Cool stuff.

----------------------------------------------------------------
. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 9:36:00 PM

Comments: Post a Comment