Fifteen years ago, on this day, May 20th,
Humans, An Endangered Species: Global Doomsday Scenarios (repeat)
May 20 2001,
Many scientists predict that as population increases and we industrialise more we will send the earth’s control mechanisms out of gear. It’s not the end of the world – just the end of us…
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 371ppm. As of 2026 it is 430ppm, but check here for daily measures.
The broader context was that the Third Assessment Report of the IPCC had come out this year saying, “look, we’ve really got to reduce emissions much more sharply than we’re contemplating with the Kyoto Protocol. There will be serious trouble ahead.”
The specific context was that the Australian Government was resisting any action, and the Australian national broadcaster had some spine still back then, and was trying to get people to think through the implications.
What I think we can learn from this is that there are journalists still finding space to raise these questions back then, at least. I’m not sure how it is now.
What happened next? Well, more documentaries, more questions, but very little action.
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:
May 20, 1959 Times of India letter about Teller and CO2 – All Our Yesterdays
May 20, 1960 – Spengler suggests decline of the … whole shebang
May 20, 1970 – NUC Symposium on Environmental Preservation
May 20, 1976 – UK World Trends committee chair worries about the weather… – All Our Yesterdays
May 20, 1977 – Australian Prime Minister says “coal, not solar” is the future