Climate Change and Human History
1Unless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Climate Change and Human History,” OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/OER PROJECT / ACTIVITY CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN HIST ORY Purpose Climate change has shaped Earth and humanity for billions of years. Review what you learned in the video Climate History and Our Futureby exploring what past climate shifts can teach us about living with climate change in the future. Process 1.Draw a line to match each climate change event with its correct effect on humans.Event EffectCold, dry conditions in the Northern Hemisphere from the 1300s to 1800s caused a period known as the Little Ice Age. The expansion of the African savannah created more open spaces, which led primates to leave the trees and begin walking on two legs, a change that sparked brain growth. Warmer temperatures and drought emerged approximately 1200 BCE to 900 CE. Ideal conditions for growing crops emerged; farming spread and led to the formation of new, complex societies. About 300 years ago, people discovered how to use fossil fuels for energy, a discovery that ignited the Industrial Revolution. Early humans survived harsh conditions through a new ability to communicate and share information—an ability called collective learning. The warm, stable conditions of the Holocene Climate Optimum emerged between 5,000 and 9,000 years ago. Burning fossil fuels releases planet-warming greenhouse gases. These gases have caused extreme weather and spurred innovation. Earth entered an ice age between 21,00 and 24,000 years ago. Widespread crop failures and famine may have sparked eighteenth-century political revolutions and shaped the modern world. Africa warmed and dried about 6 million years ago. Widespread famine led to the collapse of Bronze Age societies and Maya city-states.
OER PROJECT / ACTIVITY CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN HISTORY 22. Based on events and effects you matched above, how would you describe the impact of climate change on humanhistory?3. Which climate event from the previous page do you think had the biggest impact on humans? Why?4. Based on these historical events, what might be one positive and one negative impact if climate change continues?•How could we overcome the negative impact you identified?