Sixty three years ago, on this day, December 20th, 1961 the United Nations General Assembly agreed the following
The General Assembly,
Noting with gratification the marked progress for meteorological science and technology opened up by the advances in outer space,
Convinced of the world-wide benefits to be derived from international co-operation in weather research and analysis,
1. Recommends to all Member States and to the World Meteorological Organization and other appropriate specialized agencies the early and comprehensive study, in the light of developments in outer space, of measures;
(a) To advance the state of atmospheric science and technology so as to provide greater knowledge of basic physical forces affecting climate and the possibility of large-scale weather modification;
(b) To develop existing weather forecasting capabilities and to help Member States make effective use of such capabilities through regional meteorological centres;
1961 UN GA resolution abt outer space and also weather modification (see Zilman 2009)
https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/resolutions/res_16_1721.html
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 318ppm. As of 2024 it is 425ppm, but check here for daily measures.
The context was that the Soviet Union and the Americans had been hurling lumps of metal and even living objects such as chimpanzees and cosmonauts into space. And it was clear that both sides were interested in the military applications. The United Nations General Assembly, therefore passed this resolution that was partly about space and also partly about the weather and climate, giving the WMO a bigger remit to investigate – well, you saw what it said.
What we learn is that questions around weather modification – inadvertent and intentional – go back a very loooong way; 63 years in this case.
What happened next. The World Meteorological Organisation got going with GARP – the Global Atmospheric Research Programme. And by 1965-66 people were beginning to look at carbon dioxide and say “you know, we may actually have a problem “
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.
Also on this day:
December 20, 1983 – Documentary on “the Climate Crisis” shown
December 20, 2007 – UK opposition leader David Cameron gives clean coal speech in Beijing…