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A recent study from University College London suggests that the European colonization of the Americas triggered the Little Ice Age through a devastating Native American genocide. As millions of Indigenous people died from disease and conflict, approximately 56 million hectares of agricultural land were abandoned and reclaimed by natural vegetation. This massive reforestation absorbed enough carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to significantly lower global temperatures between the 15th and 18th centuries. The research highlights how human-driven events influenced the earth's climate long before the arrival of the Industrial Revolution. Ultimately, these findings illustrate the profound ecological consequences of historical tragedies and the immense scale of land recovery required to impact modern global warming.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". George Santayana
