World War II and climate change

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To the editor:

The unseasonable weather we have been experiencing lately has led me to a supposition.

Beginning in 1939 Great Britain was under the siege of the German blitz.  England was hanging on by a thread enduring constant air attacks causing extensive destruction throughout the country. Numerous citizens were living in bomb shelters enduring strict food rationing.  President Roosevelt leading a then isolationist country and hampered by the Neutrality Acts came up with a unique solution to supply arms, material and food  to assist  Great Britain: Lend Lease.

After Pearl Harbor and a nation now energized to take on a two ocean world war as the “arsenal  of democracy” it was clear to the military planners that it would take  a cross channel invasion to defeat Hitler.  They recognized that one of the major challenges facing America was to transport 90 divisions and all that it takes to support such a force across the Atlantic Ocean.

From 1939 until some time in 1943 the Germans by virtue of their submarine force controlled the Atlantic Ocean.  During that period tens of millions of tons of war material, ships and, unfortunately, dead bodies were sent the bottom of the Atlantic.  All of that has been rotting for over 70 years.

Just as a supposition: could that possibly be the cause or a contributory cause of the climate change we seem to be experiencing?

Howard Ring

Howard Ring

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