No, July wasn't the warmest month in human history.
Not according to the original IPCC report which highlights that much of the land surface was significantly warmer throughout the mid-Holocene.
What’s going on?
During the last month, we were bombarded with headlines such as:
So is there any validity to these claims… Was July the hottest month in human history?
A brief history of human civilization…
The journey of human civilization has been a testament to our species' adaptability and unyielding spirit of exploration and innovation. In our earliest days, humanity thrived as nomadic hunter-gatherers, drawing sustenance directly from nature, utilizing essential tools, and forming communities based on kinship. This was a time when our survival and day-to-day life were deeply intertwined with the natural world around us.
The transformative period known as the Neolithic Revolution marked a profound change in our trajectory. Around 10,000 years ago, humans began to lay down roots, transitioning from wandering tribes to settled agricultural communities. This shift to farming not only changed our relationship with the environment but also paved the way for the rise of ancient civilizations. In the fertile crescents of major river valleys such as the Nile, Indus, and Yellow River, humanity witnessed the establishment of centralized governments, the invention of writing, and the growth of intricate religious practices. It was during this era that remarkable civilizations like the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans set the groundwork for many facets of modern Western culture, philosophy, and governance.
Moving forward, the world underwent another significant transformation during the period following the fall of the Roman Empire. Europe, now entering the Middle Ages, saw the crystallization of the feudal system and the predominant influence of Christian institutions. Parallel to this, the Islamic Golden Age illuminated the world with advancements in science, mathematics, and art, while in Asia, empires like the Tang and Ming in China and the Gupta in India charted their own remarkable paths of cultural and technological progression.
The tapestry of human history would receive yet another intricate weave with the dawn of the Renaissance in Italy. This period, characterized by a fervent rekindling of art and science, would subsequently birth the Enlightenment, where reason and scientific inquiry took precedence over age-old traditions. This epoch of human thought and exploration laid the foundation for the transformative Industrial Revolution. As the 18th and 19th centuries unfolded, technological marvels like steam engines, factories, and railroads changed the societal fabric, driving urbanization and reshaping economies.
Our civilization's trajectory, from its humble beginnings in the wild to its current digital sophistication, serves as a testament to humanity's relentless drive for advancement and ability to adapt.
The African Humid Period (AHP) and the rise of the Egyptian civilization…
The African Humid Period (AHP) is a climatic phase during the Holocene epoch characterized by much wetter conditions in large parts of Africa, especially the Sahara region, compared to the present day. This significant shift in precipitation patterns had profound impacts on both the environment and early human societies of the continent.
The AHP roughly spanned from about 15,000 to 5,000 years ago, though exact timings can vary based on specific regions within Africa. It began at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum, when ice sheets started retreating in the Northern Hemisphere.
One of the most dramatic manifestations of the AHP was the transformation of the Sahara desert. Today's vast desert expanse was once a mosaic of grasslands, lakes, and rivers. This "Green Sahara" supported a variety of wildlife, from large mammals like elephants and giraffes to a variety of fish in its waterways.
The wet conditions of the AHP supported a much denser human population in regions that are now desert. Archaeological evidence shows that these ancient Saharan communities engaged in fishing, hunting, cattle herding, and even agriculture. The abundance of water and food allowed for relatively settled lifestyles compared to the more nomadic existences necessitated by the arid conditions that followed.
The primary driver behind the AHP is believed to be warmer summer temperatures and changes in the monsoon systems which brought more rain to the African continent. As these parameters shifted over millennia, the monsoons weakened, leading to the aridification of vast regions.
The African Humid Period serves as a reminder of the profound climatic variability our planet has experienced in relatively recent geological history, at pre-industrial levels of CO2, and the relative insensitivity of surface temperature and/or humidity and the concentration of GHG in the atmosphere.
The original IPCC report…
In fact, the original IPCC report is objectively clear about the significantly warmer July temperatures throughout the mid-Holocene on most of Earth’s land surface. The original report, published in 1990 when global temperatures were about 0.5°C lower than today, states:
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