A small presentation on whether early agriculture is more to blame for global warming rather than industrialisation. A group project as part of my MSc.

1. Are Early Farmers Just as Much to Blame as the Dark Satanic Mills? Dark satanic mills are William Blakes symbolic description of mass industrialisation. The invention of Watts improved steam engine in 1765 was a key driver of both industrialisation and coal production. Conclusion. Both early farming and Industrialisation had an impact on levels of CO2 and nitrous oxide. Farming emerged at the end of the last ice age. It has had an impact on levels of Co2 and No2. There is a symbiotic interrelationship between agriculture and population Co2 Ch4 No2 Population Are Early Farmers Just as Much to Blame as the Dark Satanic Mills? Surface temperature, 11000years ago Surface temperature, 6000years ago Without industry. Surface temperature, present day. With Industry.

2. Are early farmers just as much to blame as the dark satanic mills? To blame for what? Increasing emissions, leading to climate change. Ruddiman’s theory is that early farmers had a significant impact on the climate. Is Ruddiman’s theory correct?

3. Are Early Farmers Just as Much to Blame as the Dark Satanic Mills? Dark satanic mills are William Blakes symbolic description of mass industrialisation. The invention of Watts improved steam engine in 1765 was a key driver of both industrialisation and coal production. Conclusion. Both early farming and Industrialisation had an impact on levels of CO2 and nitrous oxide. Farming emerged at the end of the last ice age. It has had an impact on levels of Co2 and No2. There is a symbiotic interrelationship between agriculture and population Co2 Ch4 No2 Population Are Early Farmers Just as Much to Blame as the Dark Satanic Mills? Surface temperature, 11000years ago Surface temperature, 6000years ago Without industry. Surface temperature, present day. With Industry.

4. Nitrous Oxide NO2 Carbon Dioxide CO2 Methane CH4 Population

5. Present day with industry Present day without industry

6. Present day with industry Present day without industry

7. Conclusions There is a complex relationship between agriculture, industrialisation and population. Difficult to allocate scale of impacts precisely. Early Farming did have an impact on emissions and allowed population growth , urbanisation and specialisation to occur. What can be said is that all three have made significant contributions to emissions and therefore climate change.

8. References IPCC, 2008. Greenhouse gas emissions. IPCC, 2007. The impact of agriculture on the climate. Ruddiman, W., 2007. Plows, Plagues & Petroleum. Princeton Oxfordshire.

9. QUESTIONS?