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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Why do you think the Vikings called it Greenland? In the days of Eric the Red it was much warmer and greener in "Greenland" than it is now, so much so that Vikings established settlements there with goats and chickens to boot.

Alas, then there later was global cooling, and the ocean levels dropped and there was a water shortage, but the only difference was that then, no liberal socialists existed to scream about it.

The natives wet to eating fish and seals while scarfing the odd polar bear, and then starved.

History puts modern environmentalist liberal socialist screaming meemies into the chicken little category.

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http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/lia/end_of_vikings_greenland.html

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By the year 1300 more than 3,000 colonists lived on 300 farms scattered along the west coast of Greenland (Schaefer, 1997.) However, even as early as 1197, the climate had turned much less favorable and drift ice was beginning to appear along the vital trade routes (Lamb, 1995.) Cool weather caused poor harvests in an already fragile climate. Because of the poor harvests there was less food for the livestock which resulted in a decreased meat supply. These conditions made it even more vital that trade continued with Iceland and the rest of Europe.

Due to an increase in drift ice along Greenland's east coast, the sailing route had to be changed. Ships had to head farther south and then turn back to reach the settlements along the southwest coast. The longer distance and increased threat of ice caused fewer ships to visit Greenland (Bryson, 1977.) Ivar Bardsson, a Norwegian priest who lived in Greenland from 1341 to 1364, wrote: "From Snefelsness in Iceland, to Greenland, the shortest way: two days and three nights. Sailing due west. In…the sea there are reefs called Gunbiernershier. That was the old route, but now the ice is come from the north, so close to the reefs that none can sail by the old route without risking his life." (Ladurie, 1971.) In 1492, the Pope complained that no bishop had been able to visit Greenland for 80 years on account of the ice (Calder, 1974.) It is most likely that his Greenland congregation was already dead or had moved on by that time. Hermann (1954) notes that during the mid-1300's many Greenlanders had moved on to Markland (presently Newfoundland) in search of a more suitable environment, mainly due to a cooler climate and over-use of their natural resources.

The graves and ruins in Greenland show that the people did make an attempt at civilized living until the end but the cold and lack of proper nourishment took a heavy toll (Bryson, 1977.) The early Greenland Vikings stood 5'7" or taller but by about 1400, Lamb (1966) states that the average Greenlander was probably less than five feet tall. After World War I, Denmark sent a commission to Greenland which found the remains of the early settlements. In their last years, the Greenland Vikings were severely crippled, dwarflike, twisted, and diseased (Hermann, 1954.)

END

29 posted on 07/19/2006 12:50:35 PM PDT by Candor7 (Into Liberal flatulance goes the best hope of the West, and who wants to be a smart feller?)
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To: Candor7

"The milder weather is promoting new life on the fringes of this barren, arctic land. Swans have been spotted recently for the first time, ducks aren't flying south for the winter anymore and poplar trees have suddenly begun flowering. "

This means that the ducks are staying home which means lots of duck crap. That will pollute the water ways. It is said by some wise sage in greenpeace that minorities and children will be the hardest hit.



30 posted on 07/19/2006 12:53:27 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Democrats - The reason we need term limits)
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