consequences of three cool, wet summers.

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Dave Brown
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consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by Dave Brown »

I am sure with the summers we have had since 2007, and now the winters as well, we would have been in a famine position, as described below, if we could not buy food on the global market, and be able to afford to pay for it. Anyone noticed that bread, corn and cereal products have gone up around 300% over the last 18 months. :roll:


Great Famine 1315-1317
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great Famine of 1315-1317

In the spring of 1315, unusually heavy rain began in much of Europe. Throughout the spring and summer, it continued to rain and the temperature remained cool. Under these conditions grain could not ripen. Grain was brought indoors in urns and pots. The straw and hay for the animals could not be cured and there was no fodder for the livestock. The price of food began to rise. Food prices in England doubled between spring and midsummer. Salt, the only way to cure and preserve meat, was difficult to obtain because it could not be evaporated in the wet weather; it went from 30 shillings to 40 shillings. In Lorraine, wheat prices increased by 320 percent and peasants could no longer afford bread. Stores of grain for long-term emergencies were limited to the lords and nobles. Because of the general increased population pressures, even lower-than-average harvests meant some people would go hungry; there was little margin for failure. People began to harvest wild edible roots, plants, grasses, nuts, and bark in the forests.

There are a number of documented incidents that show the extent of the famine. Edward II, King of England, stopped at St Albans on 10 August 1315 and no bread could be found for him or his entourage; it was a rare occasion in which the King of England was unable to eat. The French, under Louis X, tried to invade Flanders, but being in the low country of the Netherlands, the fields were soaked and the army became so bogged down they were forced to retreat, burning their provisions where they left them, unable to carry them out.

In the spring of 1316, it continued to rain on a European population deprived of energy and reserves to sustain itself. All segments of society from nobles to peasants were affected, but especially the peasants who represented 95% of the population and who had no safety nets. To provide some measure of relief, the future was mortgaged by slaughtering the draft animals; eating the seed grain; abandoning children to fend for themselves (see "Hansel and Gretel"); and, among old people, voluntarily refusing food in hopes of the younger generation surviving. The chroniclers of the time wrote of many incidents of cannibalism.[citation needed]

The height of the famine was reached in 1317 as the wet weather hung on. Finally, in the summer the weather returned to its normal patterns. By now, however, people were so weakened by diseases such as pneumonia, bronchitis, tuberculosis, and other sicknesses, and so much of the seed stock had been eaten, that it was not until 1325 that the food supply returned to relatively normal conditions and the population began to increase again. Historians debate the toll but it is estimated that 10%-25% of the population of many cities and towns died. While the Black Death (1338–1375) would kill more, for many the Great Famine was worse. While the plague swept through an area in a matter of months, the Great Famine lingered for years, drawing out the suffering of those who would slowly starve to death and face cannibalism, child-murder and rampant crime.
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Food for thought.
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Dave in Warrington

Re: consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by Dave in Warrington »

Will history repeat itself in the not so distant future with a run of severe winters like the early 1400's ?
stephenprudence

Re: consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by stephenprudence »

I doubt it Dave (Warr), the reason being, that the conditions are perfect for a severe winter right now (really perfect), you have to ask yourself is this a severe winter?

A severe winter will occur in the future but I think given the signals and the current pattern if we're not having a severe winter right now, we will not have one yet.
Alexander

Re: consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by Alexander »

Well its going to be bitterly cold next week. In the northeast they will have to do with a maximum of -9 and during the night below-10! But they want that cold there as what I see on the television here! Bassically they are screaming every winter for it! Why they do not get the f...k to bloody Siberia is a complete mystery to me! I guess the Golag Archipel must be pure paradise to them...

Alexander
David N

Re: consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by David N »

Well there saying here its or worst winter since 1948.
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Re: consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by Dave Brown »

I think the problem here is how thin a vaneer our civilisation is..... and the more technologically advanced we become, the less able to adapt we are. Just think what a loss of electricity would do. No-one knows how to do things manually now :ahhh!: .

A winter of snow disruption would almost destroy out weak overdebted economy. Any interruption to power would stop any form of trade. Banks would not be able to process payments or transactions. How would you buy food if the tills and credit cards systems stopped working, how would your supermarket know what products to order. People would only accept cash, and your banks would not give it to you if their systems stopped. We would see a total collapse of everything we do. :roll:

If people could not buy food as their money was locked up in the banking system, within a very short space of time rioting and looting would occur, survival of the fittest is simmering just below the surface of our civilisation. :roll: Once survival is threatened basic animal instinct takes over.
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eyefi

Re: consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by eyefi »

:)
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stephenprudence

Re: consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by stephenprudence »

:lol: EF funny stuff :D
Alexander

Re: consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by Alexander »

Well in Scandinavia they know how to deal with cold snowy winters. Maybe ask them!

Alexander
Dave Brown wrote:I think the problem here is how thin a vaneer our civilisation is..... and the more technologically advanced we become, the less able to adapt we are. Just think what a loss of electricity would do. No-one knows how to do things manually now :ahhh!: .

A winter of snow disruption would almost destroy out weak overdebted economy. Any interruption to power would stop any form of trade. Banks would not be able to process payments or transactions. How would you buy food if the tills and credit cards systems stopped working, how would your supermarket know what products to order. People would only accept cash, and your banks would not give it to you if their systems stopped. We would see a total collapse of everything we do. :roll:

If people could not buy food as their money was locked up in the banking system, within a very short space of time rioting and looting would occur, survival of the fittest is simmering just below the surface of our civilisation. :roll: Once survival is threatened basic animal instinct takes over.
Exotic Life

Re: consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by Exotic Life »

Summer 2009 was defitnely not wet compared the temperatures over here. Most of the time just below or just above average during the summer months, but when the rain was falling there was a lot in a very short period. The result from that kind of rain here was that the most of the rainfall flooded away and had not the time to get into the ground.

The good results of the dryness and later warm temperatures during August showing some really drought effects here in the garden. September was even worser with lots of browning or early yellowing from plants because the dryness. Because the last 3 months from 2009 where quite wet over here, mine rainfall from 2009 is just above normal average. However 2009 is still the driest year since I'm holding the weather records in the garden since 2006.

2007 and 2008 where quite cool indeed, defitnely compared to this year and 2006 but because the very mild winter months still above normal year temperature.

Robbin
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Re: consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by eddie »

Nice story Dave. Luckily nowadays we have everything we want to eat, shops are loaded with tropical vegatables. But a big nation-wide power failure would change thinks for sure. I wonder what will happen when we run out of oil

So,the French tried to invade us but got stuck in the mud :D
When they would try the same now they would be stuck in traffic jams :lol:
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Re: consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by Dave Brown »

eddie wrote: So,the French tried to invade us but got stuck in the mud :D
When they would try the same now they would be stuck in traffic jams :lol:
Are you sure they are not invading and ARE the traffic jams :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Alexander

Re: consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by Alexander »

They come for the weed!

Alexander
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Re: consequences of three cool, wet summers.

Post by Dave Brown »

Gas rationing proposed now. :roll:
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