Recent winter storms did what extreme weather events often do: it revealed things most of us rarely think about.

Temperatures plunged, roads iced over, thousands of flights were canceled, and schools across much of the East Coast closed. Families stayed home, watched the snow fall, enjoyed their hot chocolate, and waited it out.  But something far more remarkable was happening quietly in the background.

Homes stayed warm. Hospitals remained operational. Grocery stores were stocked. Roads were eventually cleared. Cell phone towers worked. For many Americans, the storm was an inconvenience—a snow day, disrupted plans, an excuse to work from home. (RELATED: More Snow Headed For Northeast, New England As Active Winter Pattern Continues)

Yes, there were hundreds of thousands of Americans out of power. But imagine if this had happened 300 years ago. Storms like this were humanitarian crises. Exposure, food shortages, and extreme sickness were common features of severe winter weather. The difference between then and now is not simply better forecasting or improved snowplows, but the existence of an energy system capable of keeping millions of people warm at the same time.

That history is not theoretical. Extreme cold has long been one of nature’s most lethal forces. A large internationalc study published in The Lancet found that cold temperatures are responsible for far more deaths than heat worldwide.

The broader historical record shows how much human........

© The Daily Caller