Category: United States of America

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Denial United States of America

October 30, 2006- “Knock it off” letter by Senators to Exxon

Twenty years ago, on this day, October 30th, 2006,

On Oct. 30, 2006, Senators John D. Rockefeller (D.-W.Va.) and Olympia Snowe (R.-Maine) wrote an extraordinary open letter to ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson urging him to end his company’s support of “climate-change-denial front groups.” The only organization mentioned by name is the one that the authors of this article work for — the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI). The senators’ letter then goes on to announce: “A study to be released in November by an American scientific group will expose ExxonMobil as the primary funder of no fewer than 29 climate-change-denial front groups in 2004 alone.” http://humanevents.com/2007/05/08/liberal-scientists-lead-jihad-against-globalwarming-skeptics/

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 382ppm. 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 oil companies, including Exxon, had been well aware of the carbon dioxide issue in the 70s, and Exxon had initially collaborated with scientists to understand it better. Exxon then took the fateful decision to oppose climate action, and they had done so very successfully, both within bodies like the Global Climate Coalition and the other trade bodies, but also solo. They had been instrumental in getting Bob Watson fired after only one term as IPCC chair.

In September 2006 (i.e. a month earlier), the Royal Society had taken the extraordinary step of an open letter trying to get the Exxon mob to stop financing denialist groups. 

Here you see a couple of senators also saying knock it off. This is the same 2006 as the year when the whole climate issue had really exploded onto television screens and people’s consciousness again, really for the first time since 1990.

What I think we can learn from this – too much concentrated wealth is concentrated power is bad for the “common good.”

What happened next – Exxon persisted in being Exxon.

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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:

October 30, 1972 – Carroll Wilson writes to Maurice Strong, pondering networks 

October 30, 1983 – Carl Sagan hosts ‘nuking ourselves would be bad’ conference. 

October 30, 2006 – Stern Review published.

October 30, 2007 – Albanese grievance debate on Stern Review – “We simply cannot afford to wait any longer”

October 30, 2008 – a worker-greenie coalition? Maybe… 

October 30, 2009 – QRC bullshit about CCS – “first commercial scale CCS electricity generator by about 2015”

Categories
United States of America

October 30, 1981 – Summer Ice and Carbon Dioxide 

Forty five years ago, on this day, October 30th, 1981,

Summer Ice and Carbon Dioxide G. Kukla and J. Gavin Science, 30 October 1981 

The extent of Antarctic pack ice in the summer, as charted from satellite imagery, decreased by 2.5 million square kilometers between 1973 and 1980. The U.S. Navy and Russian atlases and whaling and research ship reports from the 1930’s indicate that summer ice conditions earlier in this century were heavier than the current average. Surface air temperatures along the seasonally shifting belt of melting snow between 55° and 80°N during spring and summer were higher in 1974 to 1978 than in 1934 to 1938. The observed departures in the two hemispheres qualitatively agree with the predicted impact of an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, since it is not known to what extent the changes in snow and ice cover and in temperature can be explained by the natural variability of the climate system or by other processes unrelated to carbon dioxide, a cause-and-effect relation cannot yet be established.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 340ppm. 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 by 1981 scientific papers were being published left, right, and centre about carbon dioxide build-up, and you can read about some of them in the CO2 Newsletter. And the question here is, what will happen to ice in the summer? Nothing good, I’m melting, I’m melting. 

What I think we can learn from this is that the scientists were on it long, long before Joe and Jane Public picked up, understandably. And the scientists have continued to be on it, and it hasn’t mattered one jot, really.

What happened next Well, the summer ice started shrinking, and here we are. 

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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: 

October 30, 1972 – Carroll Wilson writes to Maurice Strong, pondering networks 

October 30, 1983 – Carl Sagan hosts ‘nuking ourselves would be bad’ conference. 

October 30, 2006 – Stern Review publshed.

October 30, 2007 – Albanese grievance debate on Stern Review – “We simply cannot afford to wait any longer”

October 30, 2008 – a worker-greenie coalition? Maybe… 

October 30, 2009 – QRC bullshit about CCS – “first commercial scale CCS electricity generator by about 2015”

Categories
United States of America

October 27, 1987- Hansen at Preparing For Climate Change

Thirty nine years ago, on this day, October 27th, 1987, James Hansen was at a “Preparing For Climate Change” conference – Nathaniel Rich Losing Earth

“Congress had already begun to consider policy — in 1987 alone, there were eight days of climate hearings, in three committees, across both chambers of Congress; Senator Joe Biden, a Delaware Democrat, had introduced legislation to establish a national climate-change strategy. And so it was that Jim Hansen found himself on Oct. 27 in the not especially distinguished ballroom of the Quality Inn on New Jersey Avenue, a block from the Capitol, at “Preparing for Climate Change,” which was technically a conference but felt more like a wedding.

The convivial mood had something to do with its host. John Topping was an old-line Rockefeller Republican, a Commerce Department lawyer under Nixon and an E.P.A. official under Reagan. He first heard about the climate problem in the halls of the E.P.A. in 1982 and sought out Hansen, who gave him a personal tutorial. Topping was amazed to discover that out of the E.P.A.’s 13,000-person staff, only seven people, by his count, were assigned to work on climate, though he figured it was more important to the long-term security of the nation than every other environmental issue combined.”

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 349ppm. 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 James Hansen had been warning people about carbon dioxide build up, especially since 1981 and had suffered career consequences for his team. A grant was withdrawn in 1981.

The specific context was that it was two years after the Villach conference, and these are among the many efforts made by pro-action senators, senatorial staffers, environmental groups, etc. for action to happen, and this conference preparing for climate change really should be seen in the context of Villach and Bellagio, with people pulling every lever that they could think of.

What I think we can learn from this is that before Hansen’s testimony in 1988 the scene was already being set.

What happened next Hansen gave his testimony, and by 1989 organised denial and resistance to sensible policy action was on the rise. It has won, and we have blown our opportunities to avoid (or delay) dangerous climate change.

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).

COMPARE WITH ON BARAK AND HEAT.

Also on this day: 

October 27, 1967 – “the Swedish environmental turn” picks up speed

October 27, 1988 – the Guardian’s advertising dept is revolting

October 27, 1990 – denialist letter published (demolished days later)

October 27, 1990 – The Economist admits nobody is gonna seriously cut C02 emissions

October 27, 2002 – International CCS study tour begins

Categories
United States of America

October 20, 1955 – carbon dioxide build-up flagged

Seventy one years ago, on this day, October 20th, 1955, a science writer (Joseph Myler) mentions carbon dioxide in an article about smog problems…

“It has been estimated that factory chimneys each year vent six billion tons of carbon dioxide alone. The rise of the motor car with its exhaust fumes and of the chemical industry has added incalculably to the contamination of the once-safe air.”

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 313ppm. 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 in 1953 Gilbert Plass had put the carbon dioxide theory on the map, building on the work of Tyndall, Arrhenius, and Callendar. And so there was still a question about whether carbon dioxide was in fact building up, because the accuracy of the measures taken so far was in doubt, and it would, of course, be under Charles Keeling, who had previously done work for the oil companies, that in 1958 accurate measures started to be taken specific context here is dot dot dot. 

The specific context was this article was released to coincide with the run up to the seventh anniversary of the Donora smog incident.

What I think we can learn from this is that the carbon dioxide was popping up hither and thither as a potential problem.

What happened next There’s a series of meetings, there’s the IUG stuff, there’s the International Geophysical Year as well, of course, ah but really, by the early mid 60s there wasn’t that much doubt that CO was rising and would continue to do so. How quickly was it questioned, and that unless the laws of physics were going to be repealed. This would lead to entertaining times. What happened next? Everything that I’ve just said. 

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

The Oceanside Blade-Tribune was a daily newspaper published in Oceanside, California. The paper originated in 1887 and charged ownership and names over decades until finally ceasing in 2013.

https://www.nytimes.com/1973/07/06/archives/joseph-l-myler-68-upi-science-writer.html

JOSEPH L. MYLER, 68; U.P.I. SCIENCE WRITER

July 6, 1973

WASHINGTON, July 5 (UPI) —Joseph L. Myler, long‐time Washington science writer for United Press International until his retirement last December, and a pioneer reporter on atomic energy, died here today of cancer. He was 68 years old.

Mr. Myler handled President Truman’s announcement of the development of the atomic bomb during World War II, covered the first postwar test of a nuclear weapon, in 1946, and the first United States drop of a hydrogen bomb, in 1956.

He wrote magazine articles on the atom and was the author of an article on nuclear energy for the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Before specializing in science writing, starting in 1957, Mr. Myler wrote many of the lead stories out of Washington, including the Allied invasion of Normandy, the atomic bombing of Japan, the end of the wars in Europe and the Pacific and the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

He leaves his wife, the former Helen Elizabeth Austin.

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: 

October 20, 1970 – Memo about energy research required because power sector too fragmented

October 20, 1977 – Australian petition on solar energy and carbon dioxide build-up…

October 20, 1983 – The Australian says “‘Dire consequences’ in global warm-up”. 

October 20, 1997 – Greenpeace tries to give John Howard solar panels…

October 20, 2001 – Greenpeace nails Howard government over Kyoto and general climate assholery

Categories
United States of America

October 17, 1954 – Ginsberg gets Howl-ingly high…

Seventy two years ago, on this day, October 17th, 1954,

According to Ginsberg’s bibliographer and archivist Bill Morgan, it was a terrifying peyote vision that was the principal inspiration for Howl. This occurred on the evening of October 17, 1954, in the Nob Hill apartment of Sheila Williams, Ginsberg’s girlfriend at that time, with whom he was living. Ginsberg had the terrifying experience of seeing the façade of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in the San Francisco fog as the monstrous face of a child-eating demon. As was his wont, Ginsberg took notes on his vision, and these became the basis for Part II of the poem.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 313ppm. 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 the so-called McCarthyite terror of the late 40s and early 50s. It actually predates and postdates McCarthy (he was just a useful avatar) and had rendered the United States an even more conformist and authoritarian place than previously (see also the immediate aftermath of World War One) and people like Allen Ginsberg were trying to find a way of thinking and being and doing that didn’t end up with them capitulating and lobotomizing themselves. This also involved drugs.

What I think we can learn from this is that Howl came from drugs. This will come as a shock to you, I am sure.

What happened next Howl was an enormous success of sensation, and it made Ginsberg’s name. Hey, in 1967 Ginsburg was in London and got switched on to the climate issue, carbon dioxide build up, and in a letter to Gary Snyder referred to it as a general lemming situation.

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: 

October 17, 1963 – Weather Modification report released

October 17, 1973 – the coup at the Australian Conservation Foundation

October 17, 1987 – CHOGM meeting at which Margaret Thatcher has climate “brought home to her”

October 17, 2009 – Maldives cabinet meets underwater

Categories
United States of America

October 17, 1946 – Evelyn Hutchinson disses Callendar’s ideas in his “Circular Causal Systems in Ecology”

Sixty years ago, on this day, October 17, 1946,

Yale ecologist G. Evelyn Hutchinson delivers a paper on “Circular Causal Systems in Ecology” at a New York Academy of Sciences meeting. 

CIRCULAR CAUSAL SYSTEMS IN ECOLOGY – HUTCHINSON – 1948 – Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences – Wiley Online Library 

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 310.5ppm. 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 in 1938 British steam engineer Guy Callendar had presented his paper at the Royal Meteorological Society in London, and received a fairly lukewarm response.

The specific context was his proposition – that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were rising thanks to humans burning coal, and this was already causing an identifiable warming – gained the attention of biologists and ecologists as well as meteorologists (the carbon cycle is kinda important, so changes in the amount of carbon – in air or water – matter).

What I think we can learn from this – we need to look for awareness of carbon dioxide build-up NOT JUST among the meteorologists, but also among the ecologists, biologists, oceanographers etc. 

What happened next  – Hutchinson was a big-wig in the Conservation Foundation (not yet created) and it was on his suggestion that the Conservation Foundation held its meeting in March 1963

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:

October 17, 1963 – Weather Modification report released

October 17, 1973 – the coup at the Australian Conservation Foundation

October 17, 1987 – CHOGM meeting at which Margaret Thatcher has climate “brought home to her”

October 17, 2009 – Maldives cabinet meets underwater

Categories
Australia United States of America

 October 15, 1971 – Review of ‘The Greening of America’

Fifty five years ago, on this day, October 15th, 1971, an Australian newspaper reviews “The Greening of America” – a Right Put On?

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 the civil rights movement had begun with “let’s treat black people as if they were human beings”, and then that had ramified to ”let’s not kill Vietnamese people, and gosh, let’s treat women and homosexuals as if they’re human beings.” Radical, eh? And then from the late 60s this had led on to there’s this thing called ecology, and we should probably watch out for it, and the book industry was hoping to make money and so therefore the bookshelves were full of various tracts, and a runaway bestseller among them was The Greening of America by Charles Reich. Had a picture of Nixon tinged green. And this the hardcover cover

This sounds ridiculous 50 years later, but you have to remember that shortly after Nixon was inaugurated, the Santa Barbara oil spill had happened, and Nixon started bleating about how important it was, and this is the last decade to do anything, do or die, blah blah blah. 

The specific context was that Reich’s book was selling in Australia too. 

What I think we can learn from this is that long-forgotten books seemed very important at the time.

What happened next. Reader… America was not greened. Charles Reich made a mea culpa in his book Opposing the System.

And the emissions kept climbing, and the concentrations kept climbing. 

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: 

October 15, 1971 – “Man’s Impact on the Climate” published – All Our Yesterdays

October 15, 1985 – Villach meeting supercharges greenhouse concerns… – All Our Yesterdays

October 15, 1999- Australian economy headed for trouble because of carbon dioxide emissions, admits government through gritted teeth.

Categories
United States of America

October 15, 1950 – is Climate Changing? Asks New York Times

Seventy six years ago, on this day, October 15th, 1950,

Is the world warming up? Dr. Joseph J. Hickey, Professor of Wildlife Management at the University of Wisconsin, holds that it is. He has drawn his evidence from the changing habits of some half-dozen species of mammals …

Is Climate Changing?; Habits of Mammals and Birds Suggest World Is Warmer. New York Times October 15, 1950 https://www.nytimes.com/1950/10/15/archives/is-climate-changing-habits-of-mammals-and-birds-suggest-world-is.html?eafs_enabled=false

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 310ppm. 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 it was apparent from the 1930s onwards that the world was warming. The warming seemed to be accelerating. No one was quite sure why; sun’s activity, sun spots, orbital wobbles, whatever.

But usually in these circumstances the empirics come first, and then the theories to make a decent picture that fits most of the facts as we know them comes next.

And here you see the New York Times doing the same as other papers had already done. For example, Saturday Evening Post in July of the same year.

On a cynical level, stories about the weather are always nice eyeball bait/”click bait”. 

What I think we can learn from this – the word’s warming was not regarded as particularly controversial (because it wasn’t being pinned on human activity).

What happened next In 1953 Gilbert Plass got the carbon dioxide theory originally propounded by Tyndall, Arrhenius and Callendar – and also without people knowing it, Eunice Foote – onto the agenda. By the late 50s, enough people were pretty clear that there could very well be trouble ahead. And here we are, in trouble. Oh, well. 

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: 

October 15, 1971 – “Man’s Impact on the Climate” published – All Our Yesterdays

October 15, 1985 – Villach meeting supercharges greenhouse concerns… – All Our Yesterdays

October 15, 1999- Australian economy headed for trouble because of carbon dioxide emissions, admits government through gritted teeth.
Categories
International processes United States of America

October 14, 1980 – a meeting of ‘Sherpas’ in Washington chews on CO2 build-up

Forty-six years ago, on this day, October 14, 1980,

A meeting of “sherpas” (diplomats who work to make G-7 Summits achievable – geddit?) in Washington DC, with the Carter Administration’s “Global 2000” report on the agenda.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 338ppm. 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 various attempts to get international environmental action going (NATO’s CCMS in the late 1960s the UNCHE process, around Stockholm), without a lot of enthusiasm. In 1976 the French had organised an ad hoc meeting at Rambouillet. At a later G7 (as it became) meeting in Tokyo, in 1979, carbon dioxide build-up was explicitly on the agenda.

The specific context was that an attempt to repeat the trick in 1980, with a push by Crispin Tickell, had been scuppered by early 1980. But in August 1980, after Venice, the Global 2000 report had come out, and Carter people were trying to use it to keep it on the agenda.

G7 meeting in Venice had NOT dealt with CO2 of course.

What I think we can learn from this that the G7 has an interesting history of non-action

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What happened next – the Ottawa G7 was similarly mealy-mouthed. In 1984 there was a bit more “oomph” (thanks to Tickell briefing Thatcher) and then finally in 1989 the French hosted a G7 with climate front and centre

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

Global 2000 stuff

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: 

October 14, 1947 – Yeager breaks the sound barrier

October 14, 1974 – UK Chief Scientific Advisor is warned about carbon dioxide build-up. – All Our Yesterdays

October 14, 1977 – a UNESCO education conference mentions climate change… 

October 14, 1980 – Barry Commoner’s “bullshit” advert… 

October 2, 2014 – Low emission technologies on their way, says Minerals Council of Australia

Categories
Carbon Capture and Storage United States of America

 October 12, 2009 – Chu letter on CCS “widespread affordable deployment in 8 to 10 years”

Seventeen years ago, on this day, October 12th, 2009,

Oct 12th 2009 Stephen Chu, US Secretary of Energy writes in an open letter “I believe we must make it our goal to advance carbon capture and storage technology to the point where widespread, affordable deployment can begin in 8 to 10 years.”

https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/edg/media/CCS_Letter_-_Final.pdf

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 387ppm. 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 Obama had appointed some smart, high-profile people into his administrations, including Stephen Chu 

And of course, if you want things to happen, you have to tell compelling stories, but sometimes stories are just stories.

The specific context was just before Copenhagen, which is supposed to be the last chance to save the earth (until the next last chance to save the earth. Reader, we never save the earth) comes this announcement full of optimism and brim and technosalvationism. 

What I think we can learn from this is that smart people say stupid things, or things that turn out later to have been very stupid. I suppose maybe there’s a universe in which CCS was indeed rolled out – widespread affordable deployment – but we are not living in that universe.

What happened next. CCS hype cycle came to a shuddering halt, but has been re-hyped, re-inflated.

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: 

October 12, 1976 – Jule Charney throws (private) shade on fellow climatologists… – All Our Yesterdays

October 12, 1986 – Ockham’s Razor and the Greenhouse Effect (ABC radio programme) – All Our Yesterdays

October 12, 2007 – Judge grants mining licence, doubts climate change – All Our Yesterdays

October 12, 2008 – the GetUp Climate Torch Relay… – All Our Yesterdays

October 12, 2011 – Carbon Pricing legislation passed