Author: drmarchudson

Categories
United States of America

September 20, 1962 – PSAC on the case

Sixty four years ago, on this day, September 20th, 1962,

“In a 1962 report by its international science panel, the PSAC recognized that “alteration of our environment has reached the point of requiring intensive study and understanding on an urgent basis.” Penned in unusual gravitas, the report stated that “never before has man had the power he now has to bring about changes, some of them irreversible, on a scale that can affect people in all parts of the world and that can cause major but indeterminate environmental changes.”145 The panel distinguished between two types of problematic large-scale experiments. The first related to actions that were individually small but whose compounded effects could be serious, and the continuous release of CO2 was cited as an example. The second category comprised nuclear tests, which were comparatively fewer, but had much larger consequences (or so it was thought at the time). The committee thus recommended that ecological factors be considered along the technological, military and scientific objectives….

“Interestingly, the PSAC called for a U.N. conference on “environmental contamination” exactly a decade before the first global environmental meeting took place in Stockholm in June 1972, under the auspices of the U.N. As a matter of fact, the PSAC report concluded: “We urge active consideration of this proposal for a UN conference, especially in the light of what we believe to be an important need for the United States to be a leader on this issue instead of sometimes appearing to be one of the chief offenders.”147

144 E. B. Skolnikoff, PSAC, “International Science Panel: The Problem with Large-Scale Experimentation with Possible Environmental Effects,” 20 Sept 1962,

Loetscher Audrey, 2022. A History of Unsustainability: The U.S. Government, the Fossil Fuel Industry, and Climate Change ( 1957 -1992). PhD Thesis

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 317ppm. 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 concern about the possible consequences of industrialization were growing. There had already been the invention of the word “fall out” thanks to the (un)Lucky Dragon. There had been the pesticides and cranberries incident of 1959. There had been Rachel Carson’s articles in The New Yorker that were causing one hell of a storm as this came out, and there were fears about H-bomb tests setting fire to the atmosphere and even the planet being knocked off its orbit.

The specific context was that the PSAC, which had been set up in the aftermath of Sputnik, was beginning to join the dots.

What I think we can learn from this is that there are beneath the headlines, behind the scenes, people beavering away. They are shoved on stage, blinking for their line or two lines, and then they are hooked off stage. 

What happened next Roger Revelle and others were looking at carbon dioxide build-up and this was one of the issues that got into Johnson’s mouth in February of 1965, and the PSAC report was released in November of ‘65.

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 20, 1848 – the AAAS is born…

September 20, 1893 – first American-made gasoline-powered car hits theroad.

September 20, 1982 – “Carbon Dioxide, Science and Consensus” event

September 20, 2013 – CCS project mothballed/killed.

September 20, 2023 – Geo-engineering or (well, and) die

Categories
International processes UNFCCC

September 20, 1991 – End of the INC negotiations in Nairobi

On this day 35 years ago, the “international negotiating committee” (INC) meeting in Nairobi finished.  The progress towards the text of a sign-able international treaty on climate change remained painfully slow. 

Below are some clippings from a Foreign and Commonwealth Office telegram from someone who was there. (FCO 33/6909)

Summary

  1. A Workmanlike session which has carried discussions some way forward. Some hope of achieving an agreed negotiating text at the next session. But no movement on most difficult issues and little expectation of any until much closer to the Rio Conference. 

The United States delegation has continued to play a positive role on minor matters while remaining entirely inflexible on the key issues. In private, however, they are aware that the time when they can simply stonewall on finance and emissions is coming to an end, and that work will shortly have to begin in Washington on more constructive positions to which they can move.  [This is wishcasting by the author]. Soviet delegation uncertainties about the position at home (and indeed their future jobs) have prevented their generally benevolent approach to the negotiation from being trated into an ability to agree to anything. The G77 remain massively split with saudi Arabia marginalised on the negative wing, the small islands stridently, but lilliputianly, positive, India pulled forward by a wish to exercise influence, and backwards by a visceral mistrust of the west, most of the latins quietly constructive, Mexico mischievous and China showing signs of awareness that its present remote stance may require some reexamination. (It was the shared judgment of a number of western delegations that the Chinese position is now a key obstacle which has somehow to be tackled.)

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 355ppm. 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 there had been warnings about carbon dioxide build-up – serious warnings – from the mid-1960s.  Occasionally the US had mouthed some of the right pieties, but this was a fantastically complicated problem (a wicked problem) and nothing substantive got done, repeatedly.

The specific context was that in 1989 the US had been forced to move from “no treaty, piss off you commie greenie assholes” to pretending to play along. The hard deadline for a treaty was early 1992, ahead of the “Earth Summit” in Rio in June 1992. 

What I think we can learn from this is that previously classified diplomatic cables are fun to read.

What happened next  The US did not, in fact, shift on the question of emissions targets and timetables, and everyone else blinked first. The UNFCCC text was a very long suicide note for a slow self-immolation. And here we are.

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 20, 1848 – the AAAS is born…

September 20, 1893 – first American-made gasoline-powered car hits theroad.

September 20, 1982 – “Carbon Dioxide, Science and Consensus” event

September 20, 2013 – CCS project mothballed/killed.

September 20, 2023 – Geo-engineering or (well, and) die

Categories
Carbon Capture and Storage Fossil fuels

September 19, 2019 – OGCI nonsense

Seven years ago, on this day, September 19th, 2019,

OGCI proclaim “Progress towards methane target and new CCUS initiative”

https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/news-and-insights/press-releases/oil-and-gas-climate-initiative-announces-progress-towards-methane-target-and-new-ccus-initiative.html

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 412ppm. 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 oil companies had played a wonderfully effective game against any carbon action whatsoever since the late 1980s (they knew all about the issue significantly earlier than that, of course). In the run up to the 2015 Paris COP they had set up the latest bullshit PR stunt, the Oil and Gas Initiative (Exxon couldn’t be bothered to join in). 

The specific context was that it was pretty obvious by now that the Paris Agreement was in deep trouble, but also there was a very marked upswing globally in concern about environmental matters, thanks to the IPCC 1.5 degrees report, the coming of Extinction Rebellion, Greta Thunberg, school strikes, and so forth. And so the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative was inevitably spouting its nonsense, which people who wanted to believe were very willing to believe and academics found themselves having to take seriously as well. 

What I think we can learn from this is that people will believe whatever it is convenient for them to believe. 

What happened next the OGCI staggers on 

xxx

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 19 1969 – ABC Radio warns listeners about carbon dioxide

September 19, 1991 – Ötzi the Iceman is discovered by German tourists

September 19, 1997 – John Howard condemns the South Pacific to hell. Again.

September 19, 1998 – Public Health Association calls for “life-saving green taxes”

Categories
Australia

September 19, 2007 – Bob Carr brandishes ‘Earth in the Balance’

Nineteen years ago, on this day, September 19th, 2007,

Former New South Wales state premier Bob Carr displays a copy of former US vice-president Al Gore’s 1992 book ‘Earth in the Balance’ during the opening of the FEX Sustainability and Cleantech Investment Market (FEX-SIM) in Sydney, 19 September 2007. FEX-SIM is an Australian initiative aimed at concentrating sustainable and clean technology businesses to provide coherent sector-specific investing opportunities and capital raising. 

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 384ppm. 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 a young Bob Carr had been switched on to environmental problems by watching an ABC discussion programme with Paul Ehrlich on a visit to Australia in September 9th, 1971 and Ehrlich had talked about the greenhouse effect. You can read all of this in Carr’s book. 

Carr had then on gone on to become premier of New South Wales and had tried in his way to get some environmental action going within the constraints of neoliberalism, which means frankly not much, but you know, emissions trading schemes and so on and after leaving office. 

The specific context was Carr had continued trying to get climate action going, and here we see him in 2007 as the issue has exploded, clutching a copy of his mate Al Gore’s book, Earth in the Balance, from 1992 (on Gore, you might want to watch Mindwalk, where Sam Watterson plays a thinly veiled Gore) and Carr then went on to serve as foreign affairs minister in Julia Gillard’s government. 

What I think we can learn from this is that people try within the system that they’re given, understandably, and you can criticise them as deluded or cynical or whatever, and that will make you feel good about yourself. I’m not sure it will automatically tell you much about the world. This is not to say that anyone whose heart is in the right place is above criticism, but it’s also a warning about the pleasures of denunciatory history, and if anyone needs warnings about the pleasures of the denunciatory history, it’s me. 

What happened next The carbon trading delusion is I think largely dead now. Still functional as a money making scheme, but the delusion is dead.

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 19 1969 – ABC Radio warns listeners about carbon dioxide

September 19, 1991 – Ötzi the Iceman is discovered by German tourists

September 19, 1997 – John Howard condemns the South Pacific to hell. Again.

September 19, 1998 – Public Health Association calls for “life-saving green taxes”

Categories
Uncategorized

September 19, 1971 – Review of Angus Martin’s book “Pollution and Conservation in Australia”

Fifty five years ago, on this day, September 19th, 1971, a review of Angus Martin’s book “Pollution and Conservation in Australia”

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 326ppm. 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 concern about Australian environmental degradation had been building through the 1960s and had properly taken off in 1969-70 and so books were starting to appear. Here is a review of Angus Martin’s book. The book mentions carbon dioxide build-up, but the review does not. What’s interesting in the review is it says that there is “still time”.

What I think we can learn from this is that it’s now well over half a century since the great civil society of the democratic societies began to be informed about the trouble ahead, and yet civil society was never capable of getting off its ass and challenging the power of the state and the corporates, and here we are. 

What happened next Angus Martin was still around as of 2023. Our hopes for a habitable planet died really in 1992. 

In 1975 Angus Martin had a follow-up book – the Last Generation. In it he referenced Conservation and Pollution.

“I am myself guilty of contributing to the flow of verbiage, in a book published in Australia in 1971. In it I said things like: ‘the use of DDT has had unexpected and far-reaching consequences’, and ‘our great hopes of food from the sea are largely wishful thinking’, and ‘coercion will have to be applied to limit the number of children a couple can have’.  The reviewers said ‘alarming picture of global genocide’, and ‘this frightening book’, and ‘the terrible fate ahead’, and ‘see the danger and heed the warning’. (They also said ‘this is a pleasant-looking book’ and ‘some of the illustrations are excellent’.) I suppose that for one infinitesimal moment a minute fraction of the population of Australia paused in its tracks. And then it went on and drank more beer, and kicked more footballs, and watched more television, and shot more kangaroos, and had more babies.”

Martin, 1975. The Last Generation. p15-6

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 19 1969 – ABC Radio warns listeners about carbon dioxide

September 19, 1991 – Ötzi the Iceman is discovered by German tourists

September 19, 1997 – John Howard condemns the South Pacific to hell. Again.

September 19, 1998 – Public Health Association calls for “life-saving green taxes”

Categories
Australia

September 19, 1970 – to freeze or drown?

Fifty six years ago, on this day, September 19th, 1970, the Sydney Morning Herald Weekend Magazine carried a story about where the climate might be going…

“By putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, he may cause the world to grow warmer.” (then again, all the dust might blot out the Sun, cause an Ice Age).

Brian O’Brien on Fate of the world… to freeze or drown? Sydney Morning Herald Weekend Magazine 

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 325ppm. 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 in 1969 Australia had become woken up in a big way to the question of global environmental damage, global environmental change. And prominent among that was what would happen to weather. 

The specific context was Brian O’Brien delivering a not bad summation of current thinking that we might see an ice age or we might see heating and with heating the melting of ice caps and drowning. 

What I think we can learn from this is that the idea of carbon dioxide build-up as a threat to the atmosphere and to civilization was quite widely spread by 1970. You did not need to be reading arcane scientific journals. 

What happened next is hilarious. Brian O’Brien became an energetic climate denier in the late 1980s and only died quite recently. I don’t know if he changed his tune, and nor do I care. He was a silly old man with relevant deprivation syndrome,

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 19 1969 – ABC Radio warns listeners about carbon dioxide

September 19, 1991 – Ötzi the Iceman is discovered by German tourists

September 19, 1997 – John Howard condemns the South Pacific to hell. Again.

September 19, 1998 – Public Health Association calls for “life-saving green taxes”

Categories
United Kingdom

September 18, 1970 – “UNA to discuss pollution”

Fifty six years ago, on this day, September 18th, 1970,

A branch of the “United Nations Association” is holding a meeting about pollution.

“The increase in the use of combustible fuels  has led to a 10 per cent increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the last century.  By 2000 AD the increase could be 25 per cent. The consequences of so much CO2 in the atmosphere  upon world weather and climate are uncertain, but could eventually be catastrophic, claim some reports. 

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 325ppm. 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 1968-69 around the world environment concerns were growing. The UK had had the Torrey Canyon in ‘67. In late 1969 Frank Fraser Darling’s Reith lectures had set a cat cat amongst the pigeons (see telegraph report and economist editorial).

The specific context was, with a new Department (of the Environment) being formed, we see an United Nations Association organising a talk, and yes, on the agenda is carbon dioxide build-up. 

What I think we can learn from this is that people have known about this problem, and people have urged politicians to take action and urged society to take action and it has not worked, it did not work

What happened next we have trapped so much heat and poured stored up so many consequences for ourselves the Fafocene is just beginning.

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 18, 2004 – Australian States back ETS plan

September 18, 2013 – Abbott’s wrecking ball starts swinging

September 18, 2013 – Feeble denialists launch feeble denialist “report”

September 18, 2013 – Greenpeace try to occupy the “Arctic Sunrise.”

Categories
Australia South Paciific

September 17, 1997 – Howard does some PR…

Twenty nine years ago, on this day, September 17th, 1997,

“Federal Cabinet will tomorrow consider the Government’s crucial domestic greenhouse policy, which it intends to use to convince the international community Australia is not seeking a “free ride” on climate change.”
Taylor, L. 1997. Cabinet to look at new tack on climate change. The Australian Financial Review, 15 September, p. 5

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 364ppm. 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 John Howard had become Prime Minister in March 1996 and it was pretty clear that he was going to oppose any commitments for Australia on reducing its emissions. He had sent people around the world to try and drum up diplomatic support, or at least tolerance, for his view ahead of the impending conference of the parties in Kyoto at which rich nations were supposed to come with their emissions reductions proposals.

The specific context was that this sort of flat out intransigence was causing consternation both within the Liberal Party and across business and voters more generally, so Howard was having to do a little bit of his PR shtick. 

What I think we can learn from this is that in any society, but especially one with elections, politicians will have to pretend to give a shit about issues they really do not give a shit about.

What happened next Howard’s Environment Minister, Robert Hill, managed to extort a fantastically generous deal at Kyoto (de jure 108% de facto, once you took into account the so-called land clearing clause, the Australia clause).

xxx

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

Xx

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 17, 1954 – nuclear electricity will be too cheap to meter

September 17, 1969 – trying to spin Vietnam, Moynihan starts warning about #climate change

September 17, 1978 – National Climate Program Act

September 17, 1980 – Canberra Times reports “fossil fuels changing climate”

September 17, 1987 – Policymakers turn from Ozone to Greenhouse, says Wall Street Journal

September 17, 1987 – report on “The Greenhouse Project” launch

September 17, 1992 – Paul Keating versus climate action (spoiler: Keating wins)

September 17, 2002 – UK Government announces feasibility study into Carbon Capture and Storage

Categories
United States of America

September 16, 1968 – Newspaper editorial “Considering the Consequences”

Fifty eight years ago, on this day, September 16th, 1968,

“Life on earth exists in a thin layer of soil, water and atmosphere near the surface of the planet. All parts of this sphere of live are intricately related, and knowledge about this subject has come belatedly to mankind…. THe growing study of environment is trying to determine in what extent man’s future may depend upon the continuance on earth of other species.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 323ppm. 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 consequences of industrialization on food chains, on the air quality, water quality, etc. had been becoming more apparent, in part thanks to books like Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and Murray Bookchin’s Cities in Crisis, and so forth.

In November 1965 there had been a pivotal report by the PSAC called Restoring the Quality. Of our Natural Environment

The reports about environmental damage were growing, and here we see a newspaper editorialising…

What we learn is that a sense of foreboding and concern was growing even in the late 60s, and again, as I’ve said elsewhere, a cynic might say that environmental concern is a way for people to criticise the American power elite without mentioning Vietnam, and therefore becoming one of the hated lily-livered weaklings, etc. 

What happened next in January of 1969 the Santa Barbara oil spill really marked the beginning of the modern environment movement, and within all of that, awareness of carbon dioxide build-up as a problem was most definitely there in the mix, not just among the scientists and the hippies, but also government officials. 

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 16, 1969 – Aussies warned about carbon dioxide build-up by top scientist

September 16, 1969 – Nobel-prize winning Australian scientist warns about carbon dioxide build-up. Yes, 1969

September 16, 1969 – Aussies warned about carbon dioxide build-up by top scientist – All Our Yesterdays

September 16, 1994 – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

September 16, 2015 – Turns out big companies are ‘climate hypocrites’?

Categories
United States of America

A shout out to Sagan? – did The Newsroom do some stunt casting?

There’s a classic clip from a 2014 episode of the TV show “The Newsroom” that I end up reposting every now and then.  An “EPA” administrator is invited onto the show to discuss a just-released report about climate change and its possible impacts. The anchordroid, played by Jeff Daniels, gets a bit more than he bargained for.


Anyway, thanks to the wonders of the Youtube algorithm I just noticed something that had been purloined-lettering for a while. 

Take a look at the actor they hired to play the administrator.

Now, here’s Carl Sagan, talking about carbon dioxide build-up to a bunch of Senators in December 1985 (after the pivotal October 1985 Villach meeting).

It MAY just be a coincidence. In fact, it  almost certainly is:  I mean, middle-aged white men all look the same, amirite? And of course they’ll be wearing the suit and tie, signifiers of Sober Responsibility (and ‘professionalism’).  

But I wonder – I like to think – that whoever was casting the role had Sagan in mind. Who knows?

Further reading

December 10, 1985 – Carl Sagan testified to US Senators on #climate danger

November 30, 2014 – US TV show The Newsroom tackles climate change