Happy 100th birthday Jimmy Carter. Sorry your wife can’t be with you on this day. You were the first US President I have any memories of, really. 1977 to 1981.
Here’s a chronological list (partial) of some of the posts on the All Our Yesterdays site that deal with your presidency.
The short version is this – US Presidents had been warned about carbon dioxide build-up for quite a while. Possibly Eisenhower (but probably not, explicitly). JFK, yep, LBJ – well, he even gave a speech to Congress that name checked it. Nixon’s goons were trying to use environment – including climate – as a way of getting the Europeans to talk about something other than the criminal assault on South Vietnam. Nixon was warned all about climate. Ford? He wasn’t around long enough to do much.
Congressmen were pushing, but Ford, nope – October 3, 1975 – Three members of Congress introduce first bill for a national #climate program.
And then came you.
After you won the election, but before you even took office, scientists were trying to get your attention. December 30, 1976 – President Jimmy Carter is lobbied about #climate change.
And then, days before your inauguration, a fellow Democratic Party member got the legislation ball rolling – January 4, 1977 – US politician introduces #climate research legislation
Shortly after taking office, you announced a policy/report process about environmental problems
Through your tenure, the fears of scientists – European and American – were growing See for example this – September 30, 1977 – “Carbon Dioxide and climate: carbon budget still unbalanced”
A visit by you to the UK forced the Labour Government to start saying the right words about energy efficiency.
Famously, you installed solar panels on the White House roof. You’d been a nuclear submarine captain. You knew about closed systems.
June 20, 1979 – Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the White House
Because of the energy price issues (etc) you were taken with synthetic fuels. In that context, scientists gathered to talk about climate change. “Trouble ahead” they said – July 23, 1979 – Charney Report people meet – will conclude “yep, global warming is ‘A Thing’.”
By the last year of your Presidency, which was dominated by the Embassy Crisis, oil companies looking hard at climate change. On the leap day, they took a leap. Or talked about taking one. – February 29, 1980 – Texaco and Exxon talk about setting up a greenhouse taskforce…
April 14, 1980 – Carter’s scientist, Frank Press, pushes back against CEQ report
That Global 2000 report got released on July 24, 1980 – “Global 2000” report released.
The business press were getting to be aware of the issue – August 1, 1980 – Wall Street Journal does excellent #climate reporting
And during the election campaign in 1980 (after you’d tidily done away with Democratic pretender Teddy Kennedy), you had Reagan and his greedy fools to contend with. Reagan didn’t even know about your Global 2000 report. September 25, 1980 -Reagan turns out to be an ignorant fool. Who knew?
And then, just at the end, a vital report from the Council on Environmental Quality- January 15, 1981 – US calls for effort to combat global environmental problems
What followed you? Epic vandalism and more wasted years on climate change (and much else).