The British Broadcasting Corp. produced a documentary series titled “Planet Earth” that in part detailed the changes that have occurred on the planet.

In one episode, the narrator began with the mantle shifts dividing land masses into separate continents. Next came the asteroid strike that wiped out prehistoric animals. The narrator mentioned the Medieval Warm Period, generally considered to be a time of above average temperatures in the north Atlantic region between A.D. 800 and 1200, then the  Grand Solar Minimum, during which the Little Ice Age occurred between the 14th and 19th centuries. The remainder of the documentary consisted of amazing footage of nature at work both on land and sea.

As the documentary made so clear, Earth constantly changes.

Writing about the Medieval Warm Period in “World Survey of Climatology” in 1995, Henry Diaz noted the expansion of the Norse culture across Iceland into southern Greenland and the establishment of isolated settlements in Newfoundland. His survey revealed grain cultivation in Norway extended north of the Arctic Circle while average summer temperatures in England and central Europe rose an estimated 0.7 to 1.4 degrees Celsius above average current temperatures based on the limits of vine cultivation.

The Little Ice Age was a period of bitter winters and mild summers that affected Europe and North America. The cold weather is well documented in written records and supported by such paleoclimatic records as glacial growth, lake sediments and tree rings.

Dagomar Degroot, professor of environmental history at Georgetown University, wrote “Little Ice Age Lessons” for the digital magazine Aeon. Degroot stated: “Midway through the 17th century, Dutch whalers bound for the Arctic noticed that the climate was changing, as the thick ice was preventing them from reaching the established ovens for boiling the whale blubber. Instead of dooming their trade, the whalers discovered how to boil blubber aboard their ships or on sea ice and then learned how to transport it from the Arctic to furnaces in Amsterdam.” His conclusion: “Ironically, by provoking crisis, climate change spurred a golden age for the Dutch whaling industry.”

Climate change was found to repeatedly alter some environments so they were better suited for growing food, making money or waging war. Humans adapted as necessary.

Until the mid-20th century, climate change was accepted as a work of nature. Innovations assisted people in coping with changes and often resulted in societal improvements.

The narrative subsequently changed. And now mankind is supposedly responsible for climate change, with blame placed primarily on fossil fuel use. What arrogance. Mankind has not demonstrated the ability to make it rain during droughts or stop rain during times of flooding. Yet people across the world are expected to buy into the nonsense that if fossil fuels can just be eliminated, climate change will be prevented.

Follow the money. Who benefits from declaring we won’t survive climate change unless we take draconian measures to eliminate fossil fuels? The wealthy promoters of eliminating fossil fuels fly across the country in private jets and enjoy their luxury yachts powered by fossil fuels all the while promoting policies that take away freedom of choice from businesses and individuals. The elites skew the facts about climate change to maintain their power and control, giving them the ability to make enormous sums of money from a clueless public.

Climate change occurs. Adjustments could be required in some areas on Earth. But free markets have proven capable of adapting to change. Freedom in the marketplace of ideas remains key to surviving and thriving.