Forty seven years ago, on this day, June 13th,1979, the Financial Times ran an article (on page 3, since you ask) “Schmidt to seek international action on energy.”
At the end of it, this –
“Despite West Germany’s large coal reserves, Herr Schmidt has recently expressed doubts privately about markedly increasing use of the fuel.
“His attitude appears grounded in fears recently underlined here by the scientist and energy expert, Dr Carl Friedrich von Weizsaecker, that increased carbon dioxide production could, over decades, cause climatic change with serious economic and political consequences.”
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 336ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 432ppm. 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 for this was that Herman Flohn, a German meteorologist/climatologist had been aware of Guy Callendar’s 1938 paper and wrote about it during the war. Afterwards, Flohn had kept talking about it, and written about it.
The specific context was that various German scientists had been trying to ring the alarm bell by this point. Also, the first World Climate Conference had taken place in February 1979.
What I think we can learn is this: People knew. We knew. At the highest levels. And here we are.
What happened next: Schmidt gave an interview to Time magazine, and name-checked carbon dioxide build-up (this got quoted in South Australian parliament, in case you wanted to know that). Schmidt, on a visit to the US, talked to Senator Ribicoff. July 18, 1979 – US Senators ask for synthetic fuel implications for greenhouse warming. Told.
And then –
November 15, 1979 – the FT reports on German concerns about fossil fuel effects.
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.
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Also on this day:
June 13 1963 – Revelle, Von Braun and Teller talk futures
June 13, 1988 – “‘Greenhouse Effect’ Could Trigger Flooding, Crop Losses, Scientists Say”
June 13, 2008 – Australia-Indonesia joint statement on climate change – All Our Yesterdays