| What follows probably shouldn't be called a "factoid." | | | | technology would have to await the end of WW II |
| Factual events are involved, but the analysis of their | | | | when we planted food crops, wall to wall, across our |
| significance as a cause of climate change, that part is | | | | central plains, fertilized the crops with Fritz Haber's |
| my opinion. That said, what events conspired to | | | | miracle, and then proceeded to feed a world left |
| make climate change happen? | | | | starving by the ravages of global conflict. At that |
| Were we simply ignorant of the science involved? I'm | | | | moment, Earth's population was 2.7 billion. |
| afraid not, the greenhouse effect was well | | | | The ability of the miracle chemical to feed seemed |
| understood as far back as the 1890's and has been | | | | unlimited, and best of all, it solved a problem that |
| discussed frequently since. Here's a headline from an | | | | would allow the U S to become the world's most |
| article in the May 15, 1932, edition of the NY Times, | | | | powerful nation. We now had the tools to grow |
| entitled "Next Great Deluge Forecast by Science - | | | | population continuously, which resolved the |
| Melting Polar Caps to Raise the Seas and Flood the | | | | mathematical problem in our economic system which |
| Continents." Could that be made more clear? The | | | | requires continued growth, to avoid complete |
| article talks about CO2 and runs down the science | | | | collapse. Now, we could grow consumers and grow |
| pretty clearly. We knew, but it's also quite possible | | | | them we did, to nearly 7 billion of us today. Sixty |
| that the warnings were dismissed as whining by tree | | | | years to grow 4 billion new people and 1 billion of |
| huggers or scare tactics by eco-terrorists. | | | | them own cars. Anyone who questioned our path, or |
| If not ignorance, what then. I think the central story | | | | cautioned us about the environmental savagery that |
| starts in Berlin during the early 20th century. Einstein | | | | accompanied the growth, was pushed to the side by |
| was teaching there and he was part of a small clique | | | | the economic engine, now singing in full throat. One |
| of brilliant scientists that included Fritz Haber, the | | | | simple little law of physics brings the whole thing |
| discoverer of ammonia synthesis, which is the basis | | | | down: You cannot grow infinitely, in a finite space. |
| for modern chemical plant fertilizers. Oddly, Haber also | | | | I offer no opinion of corporate capitalism, as an |
| discovered the poison chlorine gas that was used on | | | | equitable system for the distribution of wealth. I |
| American GI's during WW I. Ammonia synthesis was | | | | leave that entirely to you, but, if climate change is to |
| believed to make it possible to grow virtually unlimited | | | | be prevented from being our final struggle, it will be |
| quantities of food because it enabled food production | | | | because we revised our economic system in a |
| in soils previously considered too infertile to grow | | | | manner that allows us to "build down" our population |
| crops. The natural method of controlling population | | | | to sustainable levels. Failing that, will the last person |
| had been overcome and hunger had been banished. | | | | alive, please turn out the lights. |
| The world was thrilled, but serious use of the | | | | |