On November 22, 2023, climate historian Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie passed away at the age of 94.
He was known for having written “History of the climate since the year 1000”, an incredible work which traces climatic evolution in Europe based on testimonies, engravings and paintings (image).
In this book, he describes the major episodes of mildness and cold that Europe experienced over this period and manages to trace the evolution of the harvest date over a hundred years.
We can legitimately ask the question of the uses that are made today of climate history since the research of Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie.
This work has been taken up by climate skeptics who take refuge behind the idea that the climate has always changed to hide the acceleration of this change under the effect of human activities.
Against this ideology, climate history can, on the contrary, help us to better understand the relationships between lifestyles and climates under the action of climate change.
In bioclimatic design, climate history can be used to imagine strategies for adapting to climate change over the long term.
It allows us to emphasize the fact that the climate is not the backdrop to our activities.
Defending a choice of orientation or a passive heating strategy must therefore be done accordingly!
Sources: E. Le Roy Ladurie.
Image: Unsplash, Birmingham Museums Trust