Can you tell I'm cleaning out my files for tidbits that were of interest to me over the past year? I hope you find something interesting in all of this!
This tidbit focuses on how the 1492 interaction of Europeans with indigenous Americans was a major turning point for world climate. Yes, about 60 million people died, and though most of that wasn't anyone's fault, it's certainly true that the Europeans' behavior was hardly exemplary thereafter. More importantly from the climate's perspective, a great deal of carbon was removed from the atmosphere as plants took up a lot of what had been previously used by people clearing fields for crops and burning wood and other fuels.
This is the latest update I've seen on the inquiry that for me started with Jared Diamond's Guns Germs & Steel and later continued in Charles Mann's books 1491 and 1493. I am not an expert on this area at all but I do find it fascinating! I welcome anyone else's suggestions on books or other work on this topic.
