Ruddiman Response

While Ruddiman argues the controversial nature of his proposal that human influenced C02 increases began as early as 8,000 years ago, I would remark that this is not so controversial as it is logical. In fact, Ruddiman's proposal follows the foundation of many global warming findings; human innovation and industry began the heating trend. He is simply proposing that it started a little earlier that initial findings may have at first suggested.

As the population began grow, food demand also increased, sparking a need for more arable land. Ruddiman presents the reader with the example of Asia, which handled this situation by developing wet-land rice and paddies that could significantly increase the grain output of that land. As this, and similar types of agriculture began to become necessary and popularized, the amount of C02 filtering land decreased, and the C02 and methane outputs increased due to plant decay at the end of each growing season. This hypothesis seems to be both sensible and probable, noting that both population and farming did begin to proliferate at this time.

The assessment of population and technological advancement as the primary vehicle for the heating of the planet is still the root of global warming argument. Obviously modern technologies, namely those that rely on the increased use of fossil fuels, have escalated the climate shift beyond what ancient levels were ever able to produce. Thus, Ruddiman's proposal seems to me to be a plain and straightforward conclusion that, if anything, only more accurately concludes the beginning of the earth's current heating trend.