The Little Ice Age: where, when, and why
Answering those three Ws is tougher than it looks; there’s no consensus on any of them. The term often refers to a moderately cold period in the 17th and 18th centuries that hit Europe especially hard. But it may have gone as late as the 19th century and began—or was at least triggered—in the 13th century.One theory, based on discoveries out of the University of Colorado, is that four huge volcanic eruptions between 1275 and 1300 kicked it off, beginning a climate feedback loop that kept temperatures cold for centuries. A more recent theory suggests that the massive depopulation of the Americas following the arrival of Christopher Columbus led to a dramatic decline in land use, which led to more forests, which created giant carbon sinks, which cooled the climate.
The Little Ice Age also coincided with a period of “extremely low solar activity” from 1650 to 1715 known as the Maunder Minimum. It’s possible that all three factors played a role in the shift.
Forget Henley's “Invictus”.
Vonnegut said,
“victim. . .series of accidents”.
Stay in bed,
where you're cozy,
thinking of rosy,
brain unrestrained
unreality.
Simply relax.
Ignore the facts.
Don't think of H. Saps.
impending collapse.
“Something will turn
up.”
Tomorrow, perhaps.