On this day 39 years ago April 28th, 1987,
In a 1987 meeting between UK climate scientists organised by DoE and NERC, it was considered “crucial that the UK supports truly global and multi-disciplinary approaches to studying the climate system. Clearly, the potential local impacts of any suggested climate change are of paramount importance to the UK but we must guard against any suggestion that climate-change issues can in general be studied from a parochial regional viewpoint. Regional studies should be conducted with proper regard being paid to results stemming from a global approach.”
Rapporteurs’ draft notes, ‘Man-made Climate Change: Planning the UK Research Strategy’, Institute of Hydrology, Wallingford, 28–29 April 1987. Provided to the authors by David Carson.
Citation for published version (APA): Mahony, M., & Hulme, M. (2016). Modelling and the Nation: Institutionalising Climate Prediction in the UK, 1988–92. MINERVA, 54(4), 445-470. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-016-9302-0
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 349ppm. As of 2026 it is 428ppm, but check here for daily measures.
The broader context was that after the Villach conference, and with the Met Office making more and more of a noise, it became obvious that sooner or later, carbon dioxide build-up would hit the policy agendas, and these sorts of meetings were presumably happening through ‘86-87.
The specific context was that the Conservatives had put carbon dioxide build-up in their manifesto for the 1987 election, and things were beginning to move. A bit.
What I think we can learn from this is that before Thatcher did her u-turn, responsible people were beginning to think about what the state response should be.
What happened next: In September 1988 Thatcher gave her pivotal speech at the Royal Society, and then it was on for young and old…
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:
April 28, 1975- Newsweek’s “The Cooling World” story.