Twenty years ago, on this day, June 20th, Charles Keeling (known as Dave) died.
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 382ppm. As of 2025 it is 430ppm, but check here for daily measures.
The context was Keeling had first measured atmospheric carbon dioxide levels for a Californian body funded by oil companies (see the great work of Rebecca John). He’d then done it for Roger Revelle as part of the International Geophysical Year. He spent the rest of his life measuring CO2 and warning people about the implications of the build-up.
See 1969 speech- April 25, 1969 – Keeling says pressured not to talk bluntly about “what is to be done?” – All Our Yesterdays
What I think we can learn from this – the scientists did their job. The media, the politicians, the “leaders” of social movement organisations? Not so much.
What happened next – the emissions have kept on climbing, of course.
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:
June 20, 1977- “Alternative Three” – An early Climate Hoax – All Our Yesterdays
June 20, 1979 – Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the White House – All Our Yesterdays