Month: August 2026

Categories
Sweden

 September 1, 1975 -Bolin on “energy and climate” to Swedish Energy Council hearing

Fifty one years ago, on this day, September 1st, 1975,

Bert Bolin, ‘Energi och klimat’ presentation at Energy Council hearing, 1 Sept. 1975, Box A14:001, Appendix, Energifrågan. Olof Palmes Archive, Swedish Labour Movement´s  Archive and Library Stockholm

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 331ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that Bert Bolin had been banging on about carbon dioxide build up since 1958-59.  See, for example, at the National Academy of Sciences meeting in Washington, DC, which was reported here.

Anyway from the late 60s. Bolin’s work was beginning to gain some traction in Sweden. The Prime Minister, Olof Palme, had by this stage been briefed about CO2 build up by Herman Flohn, the German meteorologist.

The specific context was the first oil shock had concentrated everyone’s minds. And here we see Bolin, who had helped organise the 1974 GARP conference just outside Stockholm, talking to the Energy Council. 

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What I think we can learn from this is that the Swedes were well ahead of the game. They knew what was at stake, not all Swedes, but the elite, certainly. And the 70s is really the decade where we got switched on to it all.

What happened next A Nuclear power referendum, Olaf Palm getting shot and killed.

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

September 1, 1933 – is our climate changing?

September 1, 1957 – Popular Mechanics asks “What is happening to the weather?”

September 1, 1968 – UNESCO Biosphere Conference begins in Paris

September 1, 1970 – Environmentalism is an elite-diversion tactic, says American Maoist

September 1, 1972 – “Man-Made Carbon Dioxide and the “Greenhouse Effect” published in Nature

September 1, 1980 – “Soft Underbelly of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet” article submitted

September 1, 1983- #climate change is all in the game, you feel me?

September 1, 1998 – Sydney Futures Exchange foresees a bright future. Ooops.

September 1, 2006 – Cameron signs FOE’s “Big Ask”

September 1, 2021 – XR action versus glass door of a US investment bank

Categories
United States of America

September 1, 1974 – Blackbird does the Kessel run in under twelve parsecs

Fifty two years ago, on this day, September 1st, 1974,

The SR-71 Blackbird sets (and holds) the record for flying from New York to London in the time of 1 hour, 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds at a speed of 1,435.587 miles per hour (2,310.353 km/h).

Dromology, Virilio etc

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 329ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that humans have been fascinated with flight and speed for a long time, certainly long before they could do it quicker than a galloping horse or camel. They had broken the speed of sound in level flight with Chuck Yeager in 1947 and here we see a spy plane, the Blackbird moving with very, very fast.

What I think we can learn from this is that your speed is all you’ll ever need, all you’ll ever need to know. 

See also Paul Virilio and the concept of dromology. 

What happened next – oh, we’re into hypersonic weapons now…

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On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

September 1, 1933 – is our climate changing?

September 1, 1957 – Popular Mechanics asks “What is happening to the weather?”

September 1, 1968 – UNESCO Biosphere Conference begins in Paris

September 1, 1970 – Environmentalism is an elite-diversion tactic, says American Maoist

September 1, 1972 – “Man-Made Carbon Dioxide and the “Greenhouse Effect” published in Nature

September 1, 1980 – “Soft Underbelly of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet” article submitted

September 1, 1983- #climate change is all in the game, you feel me?

September 1, 1998 – Sydney Futures Exchange foresees a bright future. Ooops.

September 1, 2006 – Cameron signs FOE’s “Big Ask”

September 1, 2021 – XR action versus glass door of a US investment bank

Categories
Australia Carbon Pricing

August 31, 2010 – Rann says ETS delay a national failure

Sixteen years ago, on this day, August 31st, 2010,

AUSTRALIA is failing to meet its international responsibilities by delaying the introduction of an emissions trading scheme, Mike Rann said yesterday.

After staying clear of ETS issues in the federal election campaign, the South Australian Premier told an Adelaide business lunch an ETS was urgently needed to spur international action on climate change.

“Only an emissions trading system allows the country to commit to a specific emissions performance and be assured of achieving it,” he said.

Akerman, P. 2010. ETS delay a national failure: Rann. The Australian, 1 September.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/ets-delay-a-national-failure-rann/news-story/db709200b06792098c68b94e479eea30

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 390ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that, as per a couple of days ago, the first attempts to get a price on carbon were for a tax. After these were defeated, especially in 1995, attention had turned to an emissions trading scheme. In August 2003 the second attempt to get a trading scheme going under the Howard government was defeated.

The specific context was that Howard’s entire cabinet was united in the need for one. Howard blocked it for a month and came back, and then said “no”, and the spineless cretins all went along with it. Here we see South Australian Premier Mike Rann, who by this time had been taking a keen interest in renewables and the potential for South Australia to generate a lot of electricity from wind entering the fray; Rann had become premier of South Australia shortly before this. 

What I think we can learn from this is that the opportunities, the technologies, the policies were all there, and if they had been implemented, they would not have stopped climate change. They would have slowed down the staggering increase in our emissions. They would have slowly, perhaps, bent the concentration curve down a bit, which might have bought us more time. These catastrophes that we’re facing might have been delayed by as much as I don’t know a decade?

What happened next In 2006 Howard had to do a U-turn in the face of public and political pressure. It did not save him. Labor’s Kevin Rudd then managed to fuck up the emissions trading scheme legislation and was replaced by Julia Gillard, about whom you can say many things, but she was at least competent within her framework. You cannot say that of Rudd.

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

August 31, 1998 – Green dollar growing on trees?

August 31, 1992 – “Community Energy Audit” in Canberra

August 31, 2005 – “Stop Climate Chaos” launched

August 31, 2006 – activists try to “Reclaim Power”

August 31, 2011 – anti-carbon tax protesters call Anthony Albanese a “maggot”

Categories
International processes Science Scientists

August 30, 2010 – InterAcademy Council report on IPCC

Sixteen years ago, on this day, August 30th, 2010,

2010 InterAcademy Council report on IPCC

Microsoft Word – IAC Review of IPCC_prepub.doc 

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 390ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that efforts to undermine the legitimacy of the credibility of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change had been going on for quite a while. See, for example, the spectacular efforts around the second assessment report and the work of Ben Santer.

The specific context was that in the run up to the Copenhagen Climate Conference of the Parties in 2009 there had been a hack, presumably by Russians or paid Russian hackers of the University of East Anglia’s emails. This was the so-called “Climategate” scandal, an enormous nothing burger where individual comments were taken out of context. Meanwhile, efforts were made to go through all of the IPCC reports and find whatever weaknesses and errors could be found, this all pushed the Inter Academy Council to do an assessment of the IPCC, which was released on this day.

What I think we can learn from this is the attacks on science by people who proclaim the importance of the scientific method and Western civilization, blah blah, are unrelenting, sometimes quite sophisticated, and – for those who want to believe them – quite effective. 

What happened next Attacks on the IPCC still happen, but frankly, the IPCC will go on producing assessment reports until the waters close over our heads, apparently the seventh assessment report is finally going to have some social science in there. Whoopsie do, because most of the social science around climate change that I’ve read is frankly misbegotten, which raises the question, Why aren’t I writing some of it myself, and then heading off to Stockholm for my Nobel prizes?

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

August 30, 1971 – Bob Carr (ex- NSW premier) ‘gets’ climate change

August 30, 1975 – The Science Show does climate change…

August 30, 1986 – Adelaide warned about climate change by Environment Minister Don Hopgood 

August 30, 1989 – A global tax on emissions?!

August 30, 1990 -Australian diplomats (probably) tried to water down IPCC recommendations

August 30, 1998 – Fourth International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies

Categories
United Kingdom

August 29, 1983 – Robin Page, in Daily Telegraph, worries about carbon dioxide build-up

Forty three years ago, on this day, August 29th, 1983, a gardening correspondent points to carbon dioxide build-up in his Daily Telegraph column…

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 343ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was was that newspapers had been reporting on the potential danger of carbon dioxide build up for decades, by this point there was quite a lot of activity in the 1980s, before Hansen’s pivotal 1988 testimony.

The specific context: Here we see someone who is interested in gardening, and therefore the seasons, and when spring arrives, and how long summer is, and how hot it is, etc acknowledging the existence of the greenhouse effect and the potential dangers. 

What I think we can learn from this is that by the early 1980s the greenhouse effect was being acknowledged broadly. It was not particularly controversial. 

What happened next finally in 1988 the scientific problem became a political issue. However, we failed to act in a sane or self-preservation style, and have now condemned ourselves, future generations, and most of the other species on this planet to unimaginable pain and suffering. Homo “sapiens” my extraordinarily fat arse.

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

August 29, 1981 – New York Times editorial “Heating up the Atmosphere”

August 29, 1990 – The Australian mining and forestry industries threaten to spit the dummy

August 29, 2005 – Hurricane Katrina 

August 29, 2008 – business tells Labor to go softly (Labor then does, obvs).

Categories
Australia Carbon Pricing

August 28, 2006 – “National Emissions Trading Taskforce” report released

Twenty years ago, on this day, August 28th, 2006,

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 382ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that after two failed efforts to get a carbon tax up in the early 90s, advocates of economics-based action on emissions reductions had turned their attention to an emissions trading scheme. Two proposals had been defeated in John Howard’s cabinet in 2000 and 2003 and thereafter attention had turned to state-based schemes in Australia’s different states, with the possibility of trading between them. 

The specific context was that John Howard was the Prime Minister, was continuing to deride and, wherever possible, block such an effort, especially because it undercut his so-called authority.

What I think we can learn from this is that a policy that is popular, which is not to say would have been particularly effective, will persist, and its advocates will do their best to find other plausible venues, i.e. going through the states rather than the federal government.

What happened next A state-based scheme was supplanted, because in late 2006 it became obvious that Howard was going to have to do a U-turn on the question of an emissions trading scheme if he wanted to stay prime minister. And if he was in fact defeated at the upcoming election (spoiler, he was) then Labor was promising a federal scheme. That federal scheme finally happened from 2012 was then abolished by the next government of Liberal Tony Abbott, and the whole idea of explicit, explicit emissions trading schemes was then defeated.

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

August 28, 1971 – snarky opinion piece in New York Times. Stephen Schneider rebuts days later

August 28, 1977 – First Australian“Greenpeace” action, against whaling 

August 28, 2000 – Victorian power generators refuse to sign up to reduction plan, because it is sticks as well as carrots.

August 28, 2003 – EPA says Carbon Dioxide is not a pollutant

Categories
Australia

August 28, 1996 – BCA still at it “International Energy and Environment Conference”

Thirty years ago, on this day, August 28th, 1996, “International Energy and Environment Conference”, Sydney, organised by Business Council of Australia.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 362ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that the Business Council of Australia, which had been set up in 1983, had played a pivotal role in defeating proposals for effective and progressive ecologically sustainable development in the late 1980s early 1990s. Not through the force of its intellect, but by good old-fashioned lobbying. And BCA and people from the Minerals Council of Australia had also set up the Australian Industry Greenhouse Network, which had been massively successful in coordinating opposition to the 1994-95 carbon tax. Here we see the BCA keeping the flame alive, because although there is a new government, you can never be too safe.

The specific context was there are federal elections every three years in Australia, and so new Liberal Prime Minister John Howard might crash and burn, and the whole question of carbon dioxide build up and what to do about it might – just might – return. So BCA needs to keep its hand in the game, it needs to keep its networks being constantly refreshed, and it needs to be able to fire warning shots across the bows when required.

What I think we can learn from this a good, as in effective, as in vicious and evil incumbent trade association will be doing stuff like this. It won’t look like much, it won’t scream “evil bastard” at you, but if you know how to read the signs, then you’ll see it for what it is, And you can tell me that words like evil are unacademic and unhelpful and analytic dead ends, and I can say yes, and I don’t give a fuck. Enjoy your career as an asshole. 

What happened next Howard served himself and his rich business mates for another 10 years until being kicked out by the voters both as Prime Minister and as MP. By that time the damage had been done. Would Labour have been particularly different? Well, thanks to Tampa in 2001 we will never know.

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

August 28, 1971 – snarky opinion piece in New York Times. Stephen Schneider rebuts days later

August 28, 1977 – First Australian“Greenpeace” action, against whaling 

August 28, 2000 – Victorian power generators refuse to sign up to reduction plan, because it is sticks as well as carrots.

August 28, 2003 – EPA says Carbon Dioxide is not a pollutant

Categories
United Kingdom

August 28, 1976 – Talking about the weather must be more than a national pastime.

Fifty years ago today, on August 28th 1976, someone writes some sense in the (pre-Murdoch) Times.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 331ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that the Times had been reporting on carbon dioxide build up. The first big example I’ve been able to find is around the 1957 IUGG conference. They published a letter the following year from someone called Peter Ball. And The Times had, like all the other newspapers in the late 60s, early 70s, run series on various forms of pollution. 

The specific context was that there was a drought going on in the UK, and a heat wave. The Times had already reported on an earlier World Meteorological Organisation statement about carbon dioxide in the world getting hotter. And here we see the fact, the intriguing fact that Crispin Tickell’s document that he’d written while at Harvard on a sabbatical was circulating in Whitehall, and there was some effort – ultimately unsuccessful – to get policy makers interested in climate.

What I think we can learn from this is that 50 years ago the British state was beginning to think about this stuff. See also John Agar’s paper.

What happened next there was a push to get carbon dioxide discussed. That push was led by people like John Ashton, the chief scientific advisor, who was working within the CPRS. And this led to the climatic change report of 1980 or published in early 1980 but Thatcher and her fellow numbskulls decided that they were not interested, and so the whole issue kind of went back into the undergrowth and it was only revived after much more work by Tickle and other nations getting into it.

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

August 28, 1971 – snarky opinion piece in New York Times. Stephen Schneider rebuts days later

August 28, 1977 – First Australian“Greenpeace” action, against whaling 

August 28, 2000 – Victorian power generators refuse to sign up to reduction plan, because it is sticks as well as carrots.

August 28, 2003 – EPA says Carbon Dioxide is not a pollutant

Categories
United Kingdom

August 28, 1959 – Daily Mail reports on carbon dioxide build-up

Sixty eight years ago, on this day, August 28th, 1959,

Fuel fumes trap heat

“Another factor, increasing the heat and the humidity is the development of what is called carbon dioxide pollution of the atmosphere.

Years of burning coal, oil and other fuels have added considerably to this pollution – it has increased by 15 p.c. in our atmosphere in the past 50 years – and its effect is to “trap” the heat from the sun’s rays and heat radiated from the ground.” 

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 315ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that from 1953 discussion about carbon dioxide build up had been happening in newspapers and scientific meetings. This had been triggered by Gilbert Plass in 1953. He had been building on the work of Tyndall, Arrhenius and Calendar (the work of Eunice Foote was unknown at this time). 

The specific context was that there had been some very hot summers and a Met Office head of research, Veryard was intermittently being asked for his opinion about long-term trends. Veryard had already talked on the BBC about this issue and carbon dioxide build up.

What I think we can learn from this is that the Daily Mail was reporting on this stuff and not losing its mind, but it would eventually, of course, lose its mind. 

What happened next. Veryard would go on to write more, and then it appears he moved over to the World Meteorological Organisation.

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On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

August 28, 1971 – snarky opinion piece in New York Times. Stephen Schneider rebuts days later

August 28, 1977 – First Australian“Greenpeace” action, against whaling 

August 28, 2000 – Victorian power generators refuse to sign up to reduction plan, because it is sticks as well as carrots.

August 28, 2003 – EPA says Carbon Dioxide is not a pollutant

Categories
Australia

August 27, 1969 – The Australian tells the truth on pollution

Fifty seven years ago, on this day, August 27th, 1969,

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 324ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that through the 60s there had been increasing concern about the costs of industrialization. This was especially visible in big cities around air pollution, most infamously Los Angeles. London, Tokyo, and Australian cities, especially Sydney and Melbourne, were concerned that they would end up in the same place. Clean Air Societies were formed, conferences were held, etc. 

The specific context was in 1968-69 “pollution” became the word of the day. This was especially thanks to the Santa Barbara oil shock following on from the Torrey Canyon a couple of years earlier, and then the river in Ohio catching fire, and so forth. So, really, 1969 is the year that pollution starts to take hold, and a cynic might argue that talking about pollution allowed people to talk about their distaste or concern about where America was going without talking about the Vietnam War. Also, in ‘69 the UN Secretary General had made various speeches, and there had been a report following on from the 1968 Biosphere Conference.

What I think we can learn from this is that The Australian used to be a newspaper as well as a propaganda rag. Now it’s just the latter. And propaganda that looks like propaganda is third rate propaganda, but then if you’ve created generations of third-rate educated people, you only need third rate propaganda.

What happened next Everybody started pretending to give a shit about pollution, up to and including John Gorton, the Australian Prime Minister. In May1971 Australia got an Environment Minister, Peter Howson, but the wave kind of fizzled out by 1973 though some people stuck with it, of course.

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On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

August 27, 1859 – The Oil Age begins. UPDATED TO BE a) accurate b) less Eurocentric

August 27, 1962 – Mariner 2 sets off for Venus

August 27, 1970 – Sydney Town Hall packed with greenies wanting action.

August 27, 1993 – international negotiations edge forward

August 27, 2013 – absurd claim of Nobel-prize winners’ support for Liberal non-policy is debunked