The Iceland volcano has the possibility of making everything else on DU look small.

[DuaneBidoux]

I'm sorry I just can't help saying that is may turn out that from HCR, to financial reform, to even the idiot Tea Partiers the potential this volcano has to create global financial catastrophe is way beyond what is as of yet being talked about.

Nobody knows what will happen, but we are in the best side scenario right now--which even after several months would likely significantly disrupt European supply chains. Even a middle scenario, as happened in the 1800s has the potential at best to bring another bad global recession--even worse with the weakened global economy.

The worst side scenario has the potential to bring completely devastate European food production. This would entail a full scale massive volcano that goes on for several years and brings on a permanent darkening of the skies over Europe. This has happened in European history--some theorists believe that a volcano from this area brought the Dark Ages to Europe as crops failed across the continent.

Humans have been lucky that, in modern times up to now, big volcanoes have been in unpopulated or economically less significant parts of the world. European GDP as a whole is equal (actually slightly above) American GDP. We may be on the edge of discovering that what we have built in modern times globally will not impress Mother Nature.

[tabatha]

1. I hope so.

"We may be on the edge of discovering that what we have built in modern times globally will not impress Mother Nature."

There are a lot of people who do realize that --- others have to be woken up.

I have always maintained that modern man and nature do not mix (very well).

Money has become king; but what can you do with money if there is no use for it. One cannot eat money; one can eat home-grown food.

[DuaneBidoux]

2. I don't know that I hope so. I think there could be hope in a bad case scenario.

But it requires the kind of global cooperation (meaning other than every country trying to screw the other country over)that we have never seen. Does humanity have such a capability yet?

[tabatha]

3. Cooperation will only happen when people wake up.

People usually unite against a common threat.

[elleng]

13. I'm up!

[AngryAmish]

46. no

Look at what has happened in the Congo for the last 20 years.

[tabatha]

50. The point was that people should wake up.

If they wake up, then that kind of stuff will be prevented.

[elleng]

15. 'Modern man' must use the attributes 'mother nature' gave him

to survive, that is, his brains.

[pnwmom]

20. A heartless response. n/t

[tavalon]

25. I saw it as more resigned

We Gaeans know that she will shake us off unless we shape up and we don't see much shape up. If it's us or her, she wins.

[tabatha]

29. I think it should be it's us and her, otherwise we lose.

[tabatha]

28. Heartless in what way.

It is heartless if people, because of modern life, ignore Mother Nature. I thought that primitive man in many instances respected and lived in harmony with nature. We need to relearn some of that ---- in a very heartfelt way.

[KittyWampus]

33. I agree with your comments, even about being heartless to a degree. I think maybe detached-

and sometimes when looking at the Big Picture what benefits the Whole doesn't benefit specific individuals.

Nature does seem to be a self-correcting system.

[Odin2005]

41. the "primitive man lived in harmony with nature" is a stupid myth.

If they lived in harmony with nature there would still be mammoths, woolly rhinos, American lions, American camels, and other mega-fauna killed off by overhunting.

[SwampG8r]

44. to be fair though

its not primitive mans fault they were all so damn delicious

[Odin2005]

45. LOL!

[dionysus]

48. yeah, global catastrophe is cool. man, people actually get off on disaster fantasies.

[tabatha]

51. No, preventing global catastrophe is what it is all about.

Already, there are bad things happening which could get worse.

[HughMoran]

52. That's crazy talk

Death and destruction to satisfy your need for "that'll teach them stupid humans" thinking?

No, that's self-centered insane talk in my opinion.

[DonCoquixote]

54. Nothing to hope for

Because as much as the modern era may have it's snags, it beats a time when life was short, brutish, and cheap, which is exactly the way it was in the "good old days" when we were all on subsistence farming.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Modern volcanic activity

Mount St Helens. How does that fit the frame? Ash all over the west coast. Not countering the possibilities, just pointing out that in modern times, on our very own North America, easily seen from a major metropolis, we had a major event.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. I don't think we improved ourselves any, based on that experience.

[Canuckistanian]

6. I've been watching "Britain from Above"

And I've been astounded at the intricacy of vast supply systems that keep that island going. And of course, the same systems keep US going.

This event must be having shockwaves that extend FAR beyond mere air travel.

I'd be surprised if it doesn't eventually lead to a European rethinking of our "global" way of life.

If ONE localized disturbance can paralyze an entire continent, what does that say about our way of life? Should we try to decentralize? Not rely on air transport?

And what does this mean?

[grasswire]

7. what is "Britain From Above"?

Is a CBD production?

[elleng]

14. Guess who's thinking about it:

POTUS.

[spin]

8. A volcano in Iceland helped start the French Revolution ...

How an Icelandic volcano helped spark the French Revolution

Profound effects of eight-month eruption in 1783 caused chaos from US to Egypt, say experts

Just over 200 years ago an Icelandic volcano erupted with catastrophic consequences for weather, agriculture and transport across the northern hemisphere – and helped trigger the French revolution.

The Laki volcanic fissure in southern Iceland erupted over an eight-month period from 8 June 1783 to February 1784, spewing lava and poisonous gases that devastated the island's agriculture, killing much of the livestock. It is estimated that perhaps a quarter of Iceland's population died through the ensuing famine.

Then, as now, there were more wide-ranging impacts. In Norway, the Netherlands, the British Isles, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, in North America and even Egypt, the Laki eruption had its consequences, as the haze of dust and sulphur particles thrown up by the volcano was carried over much of the northern hemisphere.

Ships moored up in many ports, effectively fogbound. Crops were affected as the fall-out from the continuing eruption coincided with an abnormally hot summer. A clergyman, the Rev Sir John Cullum, wrote to the Royal Society that barley crops "became brown and withered … as did the leaves of the oats; the rye had the appearance of being mildewed".

***snip***

Across the Atlantic, Benjamin Franklin wrote of "a constant fog over all Europe, and a great part of North America".

The disruption to weather patterns meant the ensuing winter was unusually harsh, with consequent spring flooding claiming more lives. In America the Mississippi reportedly froze at New Orleans. emphasis added

The eruption is now thought to have disrupted the Asian monsoon cycle, prompting famine in Egypt. Environmental historians have also pointed to the disruption caused to the economies of northern Europe, where food poverty was a major factor in the build-up to the French revolution of 1789.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/15/iceland-volcano-weather-french-revolution

[elleng]

16. TERRIBLY IMPORTANT!

[truedelphi]

24. Thank you for posting that. My spouse and I

had been searching the internet to see what other Icelandic volcanoes had erupted and to consider their effects. Your report is the best find (so far.)

I am surprised to think that the effect back then was in a hotter summer. I would think it would be cooler. (In early nineties, a volcanic eruption resulted in a total of 1 to 2 degree total drop in Global temps.)

[KittyWampus]

34. Spin, thanks so much for that.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

39. I'm going to add another Thank-you to the list. n/t

[BlooInBloo]

9. I'm certain we're all gonna die.

And wtf is up with this unpronounceable name? lol!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Eyjafjallaj%C3%B6kull.ogg

[DuaneBidoux]

11. Well, that's what my grandmother told me.

Right before she explained to me that only then would I see "Jesus Christ Your Savior."

Damn, I like Paris at night much better.

[elias7]

27. a response worthy of a teabagger...

I know you're above it all, but I am glad you took the time to condescend to us with your hopefully not misplaced sarcasm. And I'll apologize for Icelanders for not changing their tongue to English to suit your sensibilities.

BTW, did you know how long this volcano erupted for last time it erupted?

[BlooInBloo]

36. See - this is why I love DU....

Anyone who doesn't think this volcano will result in The End Of Days must be a teabagger.

Gawd I love self-proclaimed "true progressives".

:rofl:

[mikekohr]

10. Hope to God that the Yellowstone Caldera Never Blows Up Again.

That Iceland volcano is a pimple on a fly's ass compared to Yellowstone, the largest caldera on the planet.

mike kohr

[Hekate]

12. That's one of those things that would kill a large number of people immediately....

I think National Geographic or Smithsonian did an article on how its dome was gradually swelling. I thought that one over and decided not to worry about being a tourist there, if I should ever have the chance. If that sucker blows, I'd never know what hit me, nor would anyone for many miles around.
:shrug:

Hekate

[golfguru]

17. Is all that dust causing global warming or global cooling?

[SwampG8r]

19. the disingenuousness of the whole cooling/warming

fraud is now covered by the one size fits all bullshit phrase
global climate change

[FrenchieCat]

23. You don't believe in Climate change either?

[SwampG8r]

42. of course i believe in climate change

it happens here 4 times a year
it has for a million years
most like will for another million
what i dont believe is that we are "responsible" or if actually real
whether we can make it stop
the science is admitted fraud and scientific method demands the results be ignored for what it is
a fraud

basically its a way to grab money and power,without being able to effect any positive change with either the money or the power

[dionysus]

49. wow. pollute away boys, there will be no effect!

:eyes:

[pnwmom]

21. It could cause cooling, which could counteract to some degree

our global warming.

[FrenchieCat]

22. You don't believe in Climate change?

[golfguru]

37. I don't need to "believe" in climate change!

There is 100% concrete geological proof that climate has changed in the past.

Have you heard of the last ice age? That was 10-15 thousand years ago? That
was climate change. They had several miles thick layer of glacial ice on top
of where Chicago now stands.

Notice the ice age somehow ended? That was due to intense warming cycle. The
warming was enough to melt all those glaciers and form the Great Lakes, the
largest body of fresh water on earth. Yes baby that was intense climate change
of the warming kind.

Any one who says climate change does not exist has not studied geology.
(include in that list Hannity, Beck & Limbaugh).

[SwampG8r]

43. so how did people cause it and

how much did they pay to make it stop?

[golfguru]

57. That my friend,,,,,,is still an open question!

[Blue Meany]

26. Global Dimming and Global Warming

Pollution and dust causes dimming (less light getting to earth) but, paradoxically, not necessarily cooling. It also disrupts rainfall patterns. Neither is good for agriculture, and,in fact, air pollution from Europe appears to be largely responsible for the recent draughst and famines in East Africa.

There was a NOVA program about this a year or so ago. Global dimming and global warming are occuring concurrently and both are caused by manmade pollution.

[golfguru]

38. I mostly concur with your valued opinion

Yap, that pesky creature "man" is causing lot of changes.

[nilram]

18. On friday, listening to the financial news station, it was all Goldman Sachs, GS, GS...

And I was just thinking how this will have a much bigger impact than the lawsuit. Even if it doesn't disrupt crops, airlines are going to be taking it in the shorts for months as it erupts off and on.

[slackmaster]

30. DU has already gone mostly Full Stupid already

:nuke:

[DCBob]

31. There is no reason to believe this thing will continue belching ash at its current rate...

for an extended period of time. Most big volcanoes blow out after a few days... its a physics thing. Eruptions are releasing build up pressure and there is just so much pressure that can build up. The real concern is if this one triggers an eruption in a much bigger volcano nearby. Then we might have a major worldwide crisis.

[dbmk]

56. And thats a real concern

Each time Eyjafjallajökull has blown, its bigger cousin, Katla, have apparently followed within a year. And that sucker will generate ash on a completely different scale.

The current outbreak is more or less done spewing ashes as the ice is almost gone (Most of the ash is generated as the lava meets the ices causing explosions basically) - not because the volcano spews it into the air)

[Better Today]

32. Good grief. Don't you think we should wait longer than a week

before claiming this is the worst calamity of the 21st century?

Planes are important, but they are not the only means of transport. If this looms too long, other modes will be brought into play.

As for the darkened skies, what will be will be, agriculture will adjust or move.

[KansasVoter]

35. I think it is way to early to speculate on this!

[Odin2005]

40. unrec'd for hysteria-mongering.

[Jennicut]

47. It is not as bad as the eruption of Mount Skaptar in 1783. That killed a fifth of Iceland's people.

The potential is always there for major problems with volcanoes but this one isn't it...yet. Yellowstone would be devastating. Is it overdue? Some scientists think so.
Here are the ten worst volcanoes per how many deaths they caused:


< v o l c a n o e s : t e n w o r s t e r u p t i o n s >http://library.thinkquest.org/C003603/english/volcanoes/tenworst.shtml


Date Location Dead

1883, August 26-27 Krakatoa, Indonesia 36,000
1902, May 8 Mount Pelée, Martinique, West Indies Over 30,000
79, August 24 Mount Vesuvius, Italy 20,000
1669, March 25 Mount Etna, Sicily 20,000
1815, April 5 Tambora, Java 10,000 to 12,000
1783, June-August Mount Skaptar, Iceland 10,000
1919, May Mount Kelud, Indonesia 5,000
1631, December 16 Mount Vesuvius, Italy 4,000
1822, October 8 and 12 Galunggung, Java 4,000
1951, January 15 Mount Lamington, New Guinea 3,000 to 5,000

[Yavin4]

53. There's a faction of people on DU who desperately want some sort of cataclysm...

In the hopes that it will span some sort of Leftist Utopia. Or some sort of return to living in mud huts, growing crops, and hunting animals.

Look, we are a modern, technological, and interdependent society. We are not going to change any time soon, and this volcano is not going to make us return to your overly romantic notion of living off of nature.

[Blue_In_AK]

55. This is just a small volcano,

not even as big as Mt. Redoubt last year, from what I understand. Europeans will find a way around it, just like we do here in Alaska, where volcanoes are going off all the time.

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/volcanoes/region.php/atlas.htm