Early Agriculture: Land Clearance and Climate Effects - The Tyndall History of Global Warming Lecture

Explore the "early anthropogenic hypothesis" in this AGU Tyndall History of Global Change Lecture. Delve into the controversial idea that significant human impacts on greenhouse gases and climate occurred thousands of years before the industrial era. Examine updated evidence from ice-core drilling, archeology, and land-use histories supporting the hypothesis. Investigate claims about anthropogenic CH4 and CO2 rises, preindustrial deforestation, early global warming effects, and the impact of pandemics on CO2 levels. Analyze new findings that have strengthened the hypothesis, including anomalous gas trends, land-use models, and archeological estimates of CH4 emissions. Consider the intriguing discrepancy between the timing of CO2 rise and population growth, and explore potential explanations involving early farming practices and population dynamics. Gain insights from William F. Ruddiman, Environmental Sciences professor at the University of Virginia, as he presents compelling evidence for human influence on climate long before industrialization.

Introduction
History of the Debate
Holocene Trends
New BottomUp Evidence
Rice Agriculture
Livestock
CO2 Trends
Summary
Sources of Carbon
Population Decline
PreIndustrial Cooling
Solar Insolation
Question Session