Sixty seven years ago, on this day, November 2nd, 1957, it was laid out, simply
Douglas, T.S. 1957. Our Coal Fires are Melting the Poles. Birmingham Post & Gazette, November 2
Compare this with the Los Angeles Times, May 19, the same year…
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 314ppm. As of 2024 it is 423.7ppm, but check here for daily measures.
The context was that the International Geophysical Year was underway, but there had also been a meeting in Toronto of the geodesy people…. And maybe the Birmingham post was picking up on that.
What we learn is that the idea of CO2 build up causing catastrophe was well-established by then. And what else we learn is that if you really understand the history, you can see where seemingly random shit comes from, perhaps.
What happened next. Charles David Keeling started taking his measurements in Hawaii the following year. Roger Revelle started working within the bureaucracy. Lyndon Johnson said it in 1965. But it would be another many decades before a US president would take any of this seriously.
What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.
References
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Also on this day:
November 2, 1972 – “Eco-pornography … Advertising owns Ecology”…