The carbon dioxide build-up problem was well understood and agreed on by scientists by the mid-late 1970s. Margaret Thatcher, as new British Prime Minister, was briefed on it by her Chief Scientific Advisor. She responded with incredulity “you want me to worry about the weather?” In the US the beleaguered Carter Administration made some of the right noises. Then came Reagan and his wrecking crew… The scientific consensus hardened through the 1980s.
btw, if you want a heart-breaking brilliant overview of this period, then check out William N. Barbat’s “The CO2 Newsletter,” running from 1979 to 1982…
Many point to a meeting in October 1985 in Villach, Austria, as pivotal. Finally, thanks to a combination of scientific lobbying, politicians willing to listen, a global conference and a long hot summer in 1988 the problem broke through, and became an issue.
See also the “1990 game” blog post
“The 1990 game”
An article from 1990 could be repeated in any year since then with the names of individuals changed and nobody would notice. The article goes like this –
A new report by [insert name of scientists/group] warns that climate change will unfold/is unfolding faster than previous estimates, and that urgent action is required.
The [Science/Climate/Industry] Minister welcomed the report and said the government was already taking appropriate steps on the matter, but nonetheless would study its findings carefully.
The shadow minister [insert name] accused the Government of complacency. “[The Greenhouse Effect/Global Warming/Climate Change] represents an enormous threat to our [nation/economy/civilisation], and the Government is not doing nearly enough to combat it, and indeed to take advantage of the opportunities that would be available for [the poor/business/whoever] in terms of [green jobs/energy efficiency/economic development].”
A spokesperson for [Friends of the Earth/Greenpeace/Save The Polar Bears And Also The Humans] said “neither the Government nor the opposition is taking the issue seriously enough. As our recent report demonstrates, we need a crash programme of [electrification/energy efficiency/innovation].”
A business representative cautiously welcomed the report, and pointed to a recent pledge by a trade association to [hold a conference/engage in greenwashing/set up a working group/do some minor voluntary work to fend off legislation]. “The risk is that intemperate action by the Government will harm the economy, without which we cannot have a nice planet.”
The scientist(s) said “As our report shows….”
Every year, basically, for the last 32 years. And for the next however long, until The End.
[This has changed a little since 2022, with right-wing parties retreating into denialism and shrieking about the “costs of net zero.”]