Robin Hood, Hooded Robins, Doggerland and Climate Change

Having found a robin chirping away in my garden last month I was surprised to see the red-breasted bird normally associated with winter and the chillier climes of the British weather arrive somewhat early.

Ok, it wasn’t wearing a hood, but I needed something to spin the title of this post. And what’s it got to do with Robin Hood anyway? Don’t worry, all will be revealed.

The big issue right now is climate change. Is it man made? Is it cyclical? Is it caused by the sun? The latest chestnut is that yes it’s cyclical, but man is quickening the process with his carbon emissions.

This latest observation is important, because many vigorous environmentalists are becoming increasingly concerned that cynicism is opposing their arguments, and so in an effort to add credibility to their questionable scientific theories, they conveniently use the phrase “mankind assisted”.

“Mankind Assisted Climate Change” is a catch-all repository.

Birds apparently are a very good indication of climate change. It effects their migratory cycles, and confuses them. Based on this principle, the unusually warm weather experienced in the northern hemisphere should theoretically result in premature visitations of summer birds, not winter birds like robins who think Christmas has come early. Now that’s confusing!

Undersea archaeological findings have established that about 8000 years ago the North Sea wasn’t where it was today, and that a land mass, known as Doggerland connected England to Holland. With the end of the ice-age and the melting of the polar regions and other glaciers, it sunk Doggerland good and proper.

Indeed the British Isles exist as a result of climate change, and mainland Europe is that place over there populated by continentals that we Brits have had so much jolly fun steering clear of ever since.

Back then of course, there weren’t any motorways or railways and places like Milton Keynes.That’s the problem. Our ancestors, although no doubt peeved that they couldn’t any longer walk across to Amsterdam to visit the red-light district and pick up their gouda, coped reasonably well, and carved out their existence as fisherman as opposed to hunter-gatherers.

Now rises in sea levels will really put the boot in. There’s many more of us today, and infrastucture will take a hit. Sadly low lying islands and atolls will just disappear. But, heck, that’s climate change baby! It’s just our bad luck that 21st century man has to deal with it.

But are we really to blame? Isn’t it all just the best reason that governments have had for a hundred years to implement new taxes? After all, who could argue with the scientific evidence? What statesman would stand up and call the bluff?

So what’s the connection with Robin Hood? Here was a guy, together with his merry men prancing around dressed in tights of lincoln green, wafting through the leafy ambient warm forests of Sherwood Forest in Nottingham without a single icicle dripping from his nose. When was the last time you saw Robin Hood trudging through snow or the sheriff’s men with frozen codpieces? Think about those draughty Norman castles that didn’t have any central heating!

Humour aside, this period is known as the Medieval Climatic Anomaly which lasted for about 500 years between AD 800 – 1300. A time of unusually warm weather particular to Europe. It was later followed by the mini-ice age.

The stories of the Thames freezing over in the 16th century and people using it as a highway and commercial centre, whilst walking and skating from one side to the other are well documented facts.

Climate change has been a recurring reality, but whether we should take all the blame for it this time around is wide open to analysis. We may with our efforts postpone it, but prevention is beyond our means. All the evidence has still to be heard. The voice of reason must prevail, whether you believe in Robin Hood or not!