Bruce, while it is true that variations in the climate did play a part in the failure of the Norse settlement in Greenland, it was far from the major factor. Among other ill-advised approaches to the difficulties they encountered in this land they were trying to "tame," they were using farming methods that the meager soil could not maintain. And after a bit, they found themselves cut off from the trade with the rest of Europe that they had relied on, largely because they had very little to trade. And they alienated the Inuit who, had they been a bit more diplomatic, might have been persuaded to help them, at least show them how to survive there. The Inuit found no particular difficulty living in this environment, even when the climate did vary.

The simple fact was that the Norse failed because they tried to adapt Greenland's harsh environment to themselves rather than adapting themselves to their new environment. Climate change (which the Inuit "weathered" with no problem) merely drove the last nail into the coffin of the Norse settlement.

Educate yourself:   Clicky.

Don Firth