The Year When The Sun Did Not Shine

Volcanic Eruption - Free photo by Pixabay

@LadyDuck (470644)

Switzerland

July 31, 2016 6:56am CST

Every summer, we complain about the summer heat, but what would happen if the sun should stop shining for one summer? This event happened in 1816, exactly 200 years ago, and it's known as "the year without summer". The disaster was caused by a massive eruption, in April 1815, of the Mount Tambora in Indonesia. The ashes were sent high into the stratosphere, creating a permanent fog that was the cause of the lack of sunlight during the following summer. The year 1816 was an agricultural disaster. All the crops were lost, causing the biggest famine in the Western world. Events like this one are exceptional, but not impossible. Do you think we are ready to face a tragedy like this in our days? I fear we are not.

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79 responses

@DianneN (247186)

• United States

31 Jul 16

It can certainly happen. It would be a much greater disaster now than then, because of the greater number of people on earth.

7 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

I agree Dianne and also due to the globalization, we have no more local sources of food, everything comes from the big plants.

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@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

2 Aug 16

@Marty1 Yes, we have farmer markets here in Switzerland and many farms that sell tomatoes, peppers and other plants that you can then grow in your garden.

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

2 Aug 16

@Marty1 There are no Amish people in our country.

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@jaboUK (64354)

• United Kingdom

31 Jul 16

Do you mean that there was no sunlight anywhere in the world?

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@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

31 Jul 16

@LadyDuck We have not had much sunlight since here in England.

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@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

There were no sunlight in the North of the United States, England, Ireland, France, Germany and Switzerland. That was the cause of so many deaths in Ireland and the massive immigration to the United States. I have discovered this fact reading the history of Switzerland, only the south was able to save some crops.

12 people like this

@jaboUK (64354)

• United Kingdom

31 Jul 16

@LadyDuck That's amazing, I haven't heard about that before.

2 people like this

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@silvermist (19702)

• India

1 Aug 16

@LadyDuck Such an event may or may not happen.But I do hope it does not happen. We are not ready for such a tragic event.

4 people like this

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@silvermist (19702)

• India

3 Aug 16

@LadyDuck But some times I have a feeling of dread,thinking that something like that may just happen.Have you seen the movie ''The Day After Tomorrow''?

3 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

3 Aug 16

@silvermist Yes I have seen that movie and several others about natural disasters. Of course something like this can happen one day.

2 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

1 Aug 16

I sincerely hope that it will never happen again because we are not ready to face such a big catastrophe.

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@Juliaacv (50894)

• Canada

31 Jul 16

I wasn't aware of this, and cannot even think about how we'd manage if it happened again.

4 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

I fear that the overpopulation would be worst in our days than it was in the past.

1 person likes this

@amadeo (111938)

• United States

31 Jul 16

well not sure.But I do know or have a feelings that something big is going to happen in the near future?

3 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

I also feel that something big could happen and may be sooner than we think.

1 person likes this

@louievill (28851)

• Philippines

31 Jul 16

Alfredo you are scaring the sh..out of me

2 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

@louievill No, do not be sared, keep your calm, smile and fasten the seat belts.

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@shshiju (10342)

• Cochin, India

1 Aug 16

This is a new information to me. I don't think such catastrophe would repeat.

3 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

1 Aug 16

I hope it will not repeat, but there is a large number of volcanoes around the world and some are still active and dangerous.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

2 Aug 16

@shshiju We do not have volcanoes in Switzerland. There are volcanoes in most of the countries, including Italy, Indonesia, most of the Caribbean Islands, north and south America and Africa.

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@shshiju (10342)

• Cochin, India

1 Aug 16

@LadyDuck Is it in Indonesia or Swiss

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@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

31 Jul 16

We had enough problems with the recent eruption in Iceland which was clearly a lower magnitude event. Of course the really famous one was caused by the Earth being struck by a meteor and resulting in the extinction of many dinosaurs.

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@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

31 Jul 16

@LadyDuck Sadly it did not totally eradicate your beloved crocodiles.

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@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

@Asylum You are right, they seem to survive everything, even the fashionistas who love to see them like handbags.

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@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

I do not feel yet like a dinosaur and I would like to see some more years to come. Let's hope that nothing like this will happen soon.

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@ElicBxn (63568)

• United States

31 Jul 16

The Year Without a Summer, yes, I've heard about it. In fact, there was one farmer who managed to get a crop in in a small town in New England and because of that he saved the whole town. Its also the year that Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, because what was supposed to be a nice summer holiday turned out to be a cold, wet, nasty one.

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@ElicBxn (63568)

• United States

1 Aug 16

@LadyDuck but they were up in the mountains to get away from the summer "heat" not knowing, of course, that there would be no "heat" that summer.

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@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

1 Aug 16

So true, this is the year that Mary Shelley wrote Frankestein and the south of Switzerland was better than the rest of the countries because there were many small farms and some farmers arrived to grow some crops.

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@louievill (28851)

• Philippines

31 Jul 16

I think the movie " Krakatoa East of Java " was based on this, we had already experienced something similar, Pinatubo in 1991 was one of the most powerful this century, really scary.

3 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

I remember very well the eruption of Mount Pinatubo and I also remember the movie you mention.

1 person likes this

@marlina (154131)

• Canada

31 Jul 16

I don't think we are ready for a catastrophe of that magnitude.

3 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

With the globalization I fear that it's even worse. When all the goods come from the same sources, when there is a problem nobody get food.

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@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

2 Aug 16

@Marty1 I have canned food in the cellar, anyway we have can openers in the house and I always keep one also in the cellar. This kind of food is fine if there is a short emergency, of course you cannot stock food for a full year.

@simone10 (54187)

• Louisville, Kentucky

1 Aug 16

I didn't know about this. How awful. I fear that it would be really horrible if it happened now. Can you imagine not being able to get fresh produce?

3 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

1 Aug 16

Many things would soon disappear from the shelves, from the bread to the eggs and then the meats. No grain and corn it means that also the animals cannot eat.

1 person likes this

@simone10 (54187)

• Louisville, Kentucky

3 Aug 16

@LadyDuck That is so true and it's very scary to think about.

1 person likes this

@Inlemay (17713)

• South Africa

1 Aug 16

I dont know what i would do without a summer - I long for the hot days . . . soon - Such a disaster, cannot imagine it

2 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

1 Aug 16

I do not even think that something like this could happen again. Let's hope that all the volcanoes around the world stay dormant.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

3 Aug 16

@Marty1 The Mt. Saint Helen has been one of the biggest volcanoes eruptions in the world. I wonder what Italy will do when Mt. Vesuvio will wake up in the future... and it will!

@Inlemay (17713)

• South Africa

1 Aug 16

@LadyDuck well at least in our lifetime

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@ridingbet (66854)

• Philippines

1 Aug 16

the sun did not shine here too when the volcano Pinatubo erupted

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@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

1 Aug 16

I remember the event. The Mount Tambora eruption has been the biggest ever recorded it killed 92,000 people, Pinatubo killed 800 people. You can imagine how big the Tambora eruption was.

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@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

5 Aug 16

@ridingbet Yes it did, but it was not as powerful as Tambora, in fact we had not the same problem, we saw the sun in Summer even after the Pinatubo eruption.

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@ridingbet (66854)

• Philippines

5 Aug 16

@LadyDuck indeed, but i think the eruption of Pinatubo caused the atmosphere of the whole world in jeopardy. it somehow affected the environment of the entire earth.

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@Tierkreisze (1609)

• Philippines

31 Jul 16

My high school teacher once told me of a time when volcanic ash used to block the sky. They would sweep their desks every morning because ash would pile up there. And with all those ash around, that must be a really bad time for asthmatic people too. But the agricultural effects of a volcanic eruption must be way worse.

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@louievill (28851)

• Philippines

31 Jul 16

Your teacher was talking about Mt.Pinatubo euption, the whole Philippines was full of Ashes and lahar, I could not believe that our new house roof gutter just collapsed by the weight of lahar that accumulated like cement

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@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

@louievill Oh my goodness. I knew that you were covered by ashes but not so much.

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@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

Even in recent times I remember that some airports had to be closed because of the ashes from volcanoes. Of course the effects on agriculture are terrible.

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changjiangzhibin89

@changjiangzhibin89 (16749)

• China

1 Aug 16

We are sometimes unthankful to the sunlight and even forget that there is no humanbeing without sunlight.

2 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

1 Aug 16

You are right, we give too many things for granted, but even the light of the sun is a gift that we should learn to appreciate.

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@ida123 (6206)

• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines

31 Jul 16

I can't say no or yes because we are not yet into that situation. I think if we are on that, it is very sad and tragic moment for all of us.

2 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

I believe that our modern technology could do nothing if such a terrible event should happen again.

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@cacay1 (83327)

• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines

31 Jul 16

What a disaster.Let us hope it won't happen again in that place and the more if it would come true about 3 days total darkness.Let us always pray. Have a nice Sunday with your loves.

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@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

We can only hope that it will never happen again. I am pretty sure we are not ready to face something like this.

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@cacay1 (83327)

• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines

31 Jul 16

@LadyDuck Yes, we are not ready and not ready to accept the many happenings in the world this time when many bad elements emerged anywhere.

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Nanette Piotrowski

@nanette64 (20364)

• Fairfield, Texas

31 Jul 16

People would freak out if it happened today @LadyDuck .

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@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

@nanette64 You are right, how can I find those stupid pokemons without their phones.

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@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

31 Jul 16

We are no more prepared today than we were 200 years ago. In my opinion it would be even worse.

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Nanette Piotrowski

@nanette64 (20364)

• Fairfield, Texas

31 Jul 16

@LadyDuck Especially if the computers and cell phones don't work. People will go bonkers.

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@JESSY3236 (19857)

• United States

1 Aug 16

That's scary. I hope that never happens again.

2 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

1 Aug 16

I hope too, a very sad and scary situation.

1 person likes this

@miniam (9154)

• Bern, Switzerland

1 Aug 16

Then give me the hot summer any day.I

2 people like this

@LadyDuck (470644)

• Switzerland

1 Aug 16

I cannot say that I love so much the too hot temperature, but I still prefer a hot summer to a situation like this. Happy First of August.