Fifty-three years ago, on this day, May 16th, 1972,
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/4036#/summary
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 327ppm. As of 2025 it is 430ppm, but check here for daily measures.
The context was that by the late 1960s biologists were starting to pay more serious attention to carbon dioxide build-up. The “Keeling Curve” was now ten years old. It was obvious that atmospheric concentrations would continue to rise and rise, on a timescale that was a geological eye-blink.
What I think we can learn from this. We knew. We knew. We knew.
What happened next. The scientific work continued through the 1970s. In the late 1970s, with better political leaders, we might have started responding. But we had Thatcher, and then Reagan, and so awareness proper was delayed until 1988. And the response? Well, it never actually started, did it?
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:
May 16, 1973 Energy and how we live. UNESCO seminar at Flinders – All Our Yesterdays
May 16, 2005 – Anthony Albanese says critical action on #climate being delayed by 20 years… #auspol
May 16, 2006 – UK Prime Minister Tony Blair goes nuclear…
May 16, 2005 – Anthony Albanese, eco-warrior…
May 16 – Interview with Rosie, about zero population growth, zero climate progress, etc…