Category: AFrica

Categories
AFrica Caribbean

June 10, 1980 – Redemption Song unleashed on the world (“If you know your history…”)

Forty four years ago, on this day, June 10th, 1980, a crucial song came out, on the album Uprising.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 339ppm. As of 2024 it is 426ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was that Bob Marley by this time was dying – though I don’t think he knew i – because he’d refused to have a cancerous growth on his foot dealt with. Redemption Song, what else is there to say? The deeper context is the words taken from Marcus Garvey (who had died 40 years earlier, to the day). If you know your history, you will know where you’re coming from. And that’s what this website is all about, isn’t it? If you know your history, you will know where you’re going to – that being hell in a handbasket. 

Without wanting to create pure, “noble savage” myths, there is something that white people, liberals and radicals could learn by paying close attention to people who’ve been on the pointy end of racism, imperialism, etcetera. 

What happened next, Marley died a year later. RIP – rest in power 

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 10, 1969 – pro-nukers mention carbon dioxide in a New York Times article

June 10, 1986 – scientist tells US senators “global warming is inevitable. It is only a question of the magnitude and the timing.”

Categories
AFrica

May 2, 1990 – Nairobi Declaration on Climatic Change

Thirty four years ago, on this day, May 2nd, 1990, another declaration…,

See here for pdf

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 354.5ppm. As of 2024 it is 425ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was that there were ongoing meetings about climate and “sustainable development” in the aftermath of both the Brundtland Report and the 1988 upsurge. There was to be a meeting in Bergen, about sustainable development. And here we have Africans saying, “hey, maybe there should be nothing about us without us”.

What we can learn is that these sorts of declarations are being made all the time. My other favourite is the Male Declaration of November 18, 1989,  about sea level rise, and then forgotten. Now, all that’s remembered is what the rich largely white nations said or agreed to do (and then didn’t do).

What happened next, the emissions kept rising. Every so often there were more declarations and we’re here we are 

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.

References

1990 Nairobi meeting with Woods Hole folks http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Nairobi_Declaration_on_Climatic_Chan.html?id=MRfPAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y

Paterson 1996 page 39

Also on this day: 

May 2, 2009 – Australian Liberals warned of wipe-out if seen as “anti-climate action” #auspol

May 2, 2012 – CCS is gonna save us all. Oh yes.

May 2, 2019 – Committee on Climate change report on net zero by 2050