Why starting position/map conditionws matter IRL

[LumpenProle]

http://www.economist.com/news/scien...-was-probably-encouraged-climate-change-horde

Apparently Gengis Khan may have had a boost to production giving extra horses and good conditions for his army during a bout of climate change.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

The lack of horses and draft animals in the Americas created massive disadvantages (relative to everyone else) to the people who moved their in the Ice Ages. (Well there were horses back then, but they died off before people had invented civilization)

The Inca had lamas, but that's about it.

 

[Domen]

If not the North Atlantic Gyre, much of Europe would be too cold for civilization.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

And with it, it is the best place of them all.

 

[Traitorfish]

Oh, everything was caused by climate change. Rise of the Mongol Empire? Climate change. Collapse of the Roman Empire? Climate change. Norse expansion? Climate change. Hitler's moustache? Climate change. It's the media's off-the-shelf explanation for any any all historical events.

Well, that and lead poisoning. Media love them some lead poisoning.

 

[Lord Baal]

Oh, everything was caused by climate change. Rise of the Mongol Empire? Climate change. Collapse of the Roman Empire? Climate change. Norse expansion? Climate change. Hitler's moustache? Climate change. It's the media's off-the-shelf explanation for any any all historical events.

Well, that and lead poisoning. Media love them some lead poisoning.

What if we're looking at this the wrong way? What if, instead of being caused by climate change, all of these things caused climate change? The Mongol hordes cut down trees for trebuchets, BAM!, global warming.

 

[sophie]

What if we're looking at this the wrong way? What if, instead of being caused by climate change, all of these things caused climate change? The Mongol hordes cut down trees for trebuchets, BAM!, global warming.

If it means one more thing we can villify the Mongols for, I'm ok with that.

 

[Masada]

Timur reversed the environmental damage.

 

[LightSpectra]

It's good to hear at least that it's not reckless expenditure of fossil fuels that I should worry about, it's clever ways to blame Alexandria for making a library too flammable.

 

[North King]

What if we're looking at this the wrong way? What if, instead of being caused by climate change, all of these things caused climate change? The Mongol hordes cut down trees for trebuchets, BAM!, global warming.

Actually, there's some pretty serious arguments that the medieval warm period and little ice age were caused by human population growth and crashes, respectively.

 

[Lord Baal]

Actually, there's some pretty serious arguments that the medieval warm period and little ice age were caused by human population growth and crashes, respectively.

I find it very difficult to believe that humans had enough of an effect on the globe to create such changes in the pre-industrial era.

 

[innonimatu]

Timur reversed the environmental damage.

And don't forget: what we really need now to solve the world's problems is a good nuclear winter. Bam! Overpopulation and global warming are finished!

 

[Masada]

Radiation blows. What we really need is a big volcanic explosion.

 

[sophie]

Radiation blows. What we really need is a big volcanic explosion.

This is not surprising in the slightest coming from a SEA specialist

 

[Masada]

I was thinking Pinatubo. :3

 

[North King]

I find it very difficult to believe that humans had enough of an effect on the globe to create such changes in the pre-industrial era.

Well, I mean, methane is a pretty big greenhouse gas contributor. Ergo, farming.

 

[Tee Kay]

I was thinking Pinatubo. :3

I thought you were thinking Tambora.

Well, I mean, methane is a pretty big greenhouse gas contributor. Ergo, farming.

Also, there's the argument that the sudden proliferation of forests after the collapse of indigenous American societies cooled the climate.

To address the OP: the problem with a narrative of history that overemphasises the dictates of geography or climate (eg Jared D.) is that it risks overlooking human agency. Sure, a warmer climate may have provided richer grazing; but then, nomadic invasions have also been explained by the opposite cause (that is, poor grazing forcing nomads to migrate). And let's not forget the human actors and the various contingencies; Genghis Khan being injured at one point and not killed, for instance. And the way it is usually reported in the media doesn't help, with their obsession for a single, decisive factor in anything, which is rarely the case.

 

[Masada]

I wonder what would happen if we set all three off?

 

[tokala]

Some really weird weather for a year or two.
And beautiful sunsets.

At least you weren't referring to this beauty here:

 

[Masada]

I was hoping more a repeatable mini Ice Age.