The Grandmother in the Siheyuan

Chapter 508 Historical Issues
Liu Hua smiled and said, "This is a rather profound question, not just a contemporary one. We also need to consider our history to explain it clearly."

Liu Hua paused for a moment and then asked, "I have a historical question for you. When the nine provinces of the world were established, why was there a Yu Province? And why was it called Yu Province?"

Xiao Shui shook his head. He could talk eloquently about current social issues, but when it came to historical topics, he was at a loss, even though he was well-read.

“First look at this Yuzhou. Why does it have the elephant radical?” Liu Hua asked. “You should know where Yuzhou is now, right?”

“The southern Henan region.” Xiao Shui said while thinking, “Why does it have the elephant radical? Academician Liu, please just tell me, I don’t have your extensive knowledge.”

"That's because there were elephants in southern Henan back then, which was probably the iconic creature, hence the character for 'Yuzhou' has the 'elephant' radical next to it." Liu Hua then asked, "There are no elephants in southern Henan now, so why were there elephants in southern Henan in ancient times?"

Not only was Xiao Shui lost in thought, but the other staff members were also deep in thought, but they couldn't come up with a solution.

"Because the weather was quite hot back then," Liu Hua said with a smile. "Actually, if you look through history books, you'll find that most of the more powerful dynasties in ancient China, such as the Qin and Han dynasties, and the Sui and Tang dynasties, were in relatively hot periods."

Xiao Shui suddenly realized and said, "Really? I haven't noticed that in the history books."

“Actually, it’s clearer if you look at one thing. Whether it was the Qin and Han dynasties or the Sui and Tang dynasties, there was a brilliant Western Region at that time. The civilizations of the Western Region countries were quite advanced, of course, compared to the West at that time.” Liu Hua continued to ask, “Why are there so many Western Region civilizations in the arid and barren Northwest region today?”

Before Xiao Shui could speak, Liu Hua slammed his hand on the table and said, "It's because it was hotter that the precipitation line shifted northward. Areas that seem dry and barren to us now had abundant rainfall back then, making it possible to grow crops. Because of the abundance of crops, brilliant civilizations were able to emerge."

Xiao Shui nodded: "That's truly a unique perspective."

"In the 1930s, a man named Hu Huanyong drew a line on a map, from Heihe to Tengchong. He divided my country into two parts at a 45-degree angle. The eastern part has only about 40% of the land but 94% of the population, while the western part has more than 50% of the land but only 5% of the population. If the climate warms and the precipitation line shifts northward, then a large part of this 50% area can become habitable. This would solve a large part of my country's food problem. So I say that climate warming is beneficial to my country."

Everyone suddenly understood, but Xiao Shui was a little confused and asked, puzzled, "Since global warming can increase food production, why don't those European and American countries like it? Instead, they advocate that global warming is harmful to the earth."

"This involves a genetic issue," Liu Hua said with a smile. "Because their area has always been relatively cold, their vegetation and organisms have inherited certain genes over thousands of years. Once the climate changes, it will be a catastrophic disaster for their cold-accustomed vegetation and organisms."

Liu Hua pointed to himself: "It's different here. We've always farmed in warm regions and during warm times. Our crops have long been accustomed to the warm climate, so global warming is actually beneficial to us."

“That makes perfect sense. So, Academician Liu, what did you mean when you said at the beginning that someone was deliberately targeting you?”

Liu Hua sighed: "Does environmental protection need to be taken seriously? Of course it does. But this environmental protection trend that has come from the West is an unhealthy trend. It's not that the concepts it advocates are wrong, but that its purpose is wrong."

"If the goal isn't to protect the environment, isn't it?" Liu Hua shook his head: "We advocate environmental protection to protect our own environment, while the West advocates environmental protection, but their fundamental purpose is to restrict our industrial development."

"Aren't you being a bit of an overreacter?"

Liu Hua waved his hand: "Comrade Xiao Shui, don't be fooled by your hosting of Focus Interview. You don't really understand international affairs. You haven't bothered to learn about those environmental organizations in Europe and the United States."

"Is there anything different?"

“It’s very different.” Liu Hua said dismissively, “Of course, I have the utmost respect for the first people who proposed the concept of environmental protection, because their starting point was really to protect the environment and to think about the health of the earth.”

Xiao Shui was definitely a great straight man, and immediately followed up with, "Isn't that true afterward?"

"Some of the people at the bottom of those environmental organizations are indeed working for the sake of environmental protection, but a larger portion of them are being misled by capital."

"Being fooled by capital? Like a big con artist?"

Liu Hua smiled and nodded: "Even more deceptive than a big conman? It's a bit like the Crusades. The Crusades judged you in the name of God, while they judge you in the name of environmental protection. Many environmental organizations have been used by capital as tools to attack their enemies with different opinions, and the methods are becoming more and more extreme. It can be said that their actions are not environmentally friendly."

"So what did you see in the newspaper that published your report?"

Liu Hua smiled disdainfully, glanced at the newspaper on the corner of the table with contempt, and said, "They are just pawns of those Western capitalists who are determined to destroy us. They take other people's money and cheer for those ambitious people and capitalists. If you investigate them thoroughly, you'll find that their hands are definitely not clean."

That evening, the news channel broadcast the interview. Generally speaking, it is difficult to gain favor by refuting rumors, because some people are stubborn and will think that the refuting rumors are all lies. If you believe them, you will be set up by capital.

However, Liu Hua's words included historical references, which left them no choice but to believe him. Moreover, a large portion of them were patriots and nationalists, and they firmly believed in Liu Hua's words.

From then on, anyone who dared to talk about global warming online would be fiercely attacked, with quotations from ancient texts, from the Qiang sacrifices of the Xia Dynasty to the blessings bestowed upon all directions by the Heavenly Khan of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, all of which were thanks to the warm climate. Therefore, if you oppose global warming, you are opposing the prosperity of our country.

That Southern Daily was also heavily criticized. Initially, it was known for its novel insights and international perspective, but now it has become synonymous with traitors. Its sales plummeted, and people were even ridiculed for reading it. Who would be a good person reading a traitor's newspaper?

(End of this chapter)