Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/01/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Bill Clough wrote: >USA >TEXAS >CORPUS CHRISTI >13 January 2005 > >This, from BBC Online: > >http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4171591.stm > >--Bill > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >http://mail.yahoo.com >_______________________________________________ >Leica Users Group. >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > Bill- I have just finished an interesting book called, somewhat misleadingly, "A brain for all seasons" where the author propounds that the cause of the previous 'ice ages' or instances of global cooling were precipitated by warming trends that by generating too much fresh water in the north Atlantic, caused the 'conveyer' of the Gulf stream and the north Atlantic conveyer of returning cooler water south lead to fairly rapid changes in climate, and as a result, this lead to mankind developing larger brains and survival strategies to survive. His picture is painted in grim colors if you carry the theory to its logical conclusion. The north Atlantic conveyer relies on the warm Gulf stream moving north, losing water from evaporation in the northern reaches, warming Europe among other places, and the then more saline and dense water sinking, and flowing like a great river toward the south to recirculate again. He explains how seabed sediment shows signs of times whan this conveyor stopped, and the stoppages brought on disaster in Europe among other places. The warming of the Gulf stream explains why Europe, which is on about the same lattitude as Canada, can grow much more food per capita than can Canada, and enjoys a rather mild climate. Should the conveyor stop- the climate can change in as little as a couple of decades, not centuries, and the resulting starvation would be much worse than the last 'cool' period from about 1300 to the 1860's- which included the 'Maunder Minimum' in the early 1800's when the Thames froze so firmly that an elephant was able to walk across it (I love those 19th century showmen!). We think of Charles Dickens' London, and the snow covered Christmases of Scrooge's time, but this was written during the period of the Maunder Minimum, and I don't think England has been quite so chilly since! Obviously, the Shahara may one day bloom again, as it did 11-13,000 years ago, but the resulting changes elsewhare may be disasterous as the current climate patterns have placed mankind in the most advantageous places to propagate over the last several thousand years- the very places where a severe climate shift would impact the most severely. To keep it on topic, I wouldn't even want to be there with my Leica to get pictures if it happens. If there is a mass extinction on the horizon, or near extinction, I have a desparate feeling that we may be it. It may be excaserbated by man, but nature seems to have a way of wiping the slate clean periodically and starting over. If we evolved as we did, to survive earlier catatrophes, we may be faced with another evolutionary shift to adapt to a cooler, less pleasant world- with far fewer people. The Mayan calendar ends on 23 December 2012; presumably the fifth age of man shall have come to an end at that time(Ooooh, I love the pluperfect!)-on my birthday, naturally. Perhaps they knew something! Anyway, I intend to have a birthday party in 2012 that boggles the mind- the single malt will flow like water, and devil take the hindmost. If we wake up on the 24th, well- at least we had one helluva blowout. If we don't and the world has come to a screecing halt at least the single malt did not go to waste, and I'll see you guys on 'the other side' where Leicas are issued to the True Believers, and everyday is a photo-op! Best of light to you! Dan