3 ms·

The first benefit of global warming? "Until now it has been impossible to lay cables in the Arctic Ocean, but the retreat of the Arctic sea ice means that the

The first benefit of global warming? "Until now it has been impossible to lay cables in the Arctic Ocean, but the retreat of the Arctic sea ice means that the Northwest Passage is now generally ice-free from August to October..."

ars 15y ago
May not be the only benefit, during the Medieval Warm Period humanity benefited greatly from increased crop yields and milder winters.
- psykotic 15y ago
  > May not be the only benefit, during the Medieval Warm Period humanity benefited greatly from increased crop yields and milder winters. "Humanity" meaning Northern Europeans? The MWP led to prolonged droughts and floods throughout other parts of the world.
  - ars 15y ago
    Other parts of the world didn't keep as good records, so the data is not great. A drought in north America seemed clear, but other parts of the world did not seem to be badly affected. That's kind of the nature of change - some benefit, others loose. Anyway, I was just listing another example of a benefit, not trying to make a value judgment.
    - Tsagadai 15y ago
      There is a hypothesis that the Angkor civilization collapsed due to the lake and wetlands around the city drying up. It is widely agreed that at the time the city around Angkor Wat was the largest in the world. The Angkor civilization collapsed at roughly the time of the Medieval warming period. It is just a hypothesis but a very interesting one.
- guelo 15y ago
  The medieval warming period was mild compared to the warming we're having now and the warming we're going to have over the next century.
jarek 15y ago
Not really the first. Shipping might improve a whole lot if the Northwest Passage opens up more. First commercial ship went through in '08: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2008/11/28/nwest-vessel.html http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2008/11/28/nwest-v...

3 ms·

The first benefit of global warming? "Until now it has been impossible to lay cables in the Arctic Ocean, but the retreat of the Arctic sea ice means that the

by guimarin 15y ago

ars 15y ago
May not be the only benefit, during the Medieval Warm Period humanity benefited greatly from increased crop yields and milder winters.
- psykotic 15y ago
  > May not be the only benefit, during the Medieval Warm Period humanity benefited greatly from increased crop yields and milder winters. "Humanity" meaning Northern Europeans? The MWP led to prolonged droughts and floods throughout other parts of the world.
  - ars 15y ago
    Other parts of the world didn't keep as good records, so the data is not great. A drought in north America seemed clear, but other parts of the world did not seem to be badly affected. That's kind of the nature of change - some benefit, others loose. Anyway, I was just listing another example of a benefit, not trying to make a value judgment.
    - Tsagadai 15y ago
      There is a hypothesis that the Angkor civilization collapsed due to the lake and wetlands around the city drying up. It is widely agreed that at the time the city around Angkor Wat was the largest in the world. The Angkor civilization collapsed at roughly the time of the Medieval warming period. It is just a hypothesis but a very interesting one.
- guelo 15y ago
  The medieval warming period was mild compared to the warming we're having now and the warming we're going to have over the next century.
jarek 15y ago
Not really the first. Shipping might improve a whole lot if the Northwest Passage opens up more. First commercial ship went through in '08: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2008/11/28/nwest-vessel.html http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2008/11/28/nwest-v...