One hundred and sixty nine years ago, on this day, September 13th, 1856,
Her article sparked interest and praise, notably in the 13 September issue of Scientific American magazine, in an article titled ‘Scientific ladies – experiments with condensed gases’: ‘Some have not only entertained, but expressed the mean idea, that women do not possess the strength of mind necessary for scientific investigation […] the experiments of Mrs Foote afford abundant evidence of the ability of woman to investigate any subject with originality and precision.’ https://www.chemistryworld.com/culture/eunice-foote-the-mother-of-climate-change/4011315.article#/
And
Scientific American 1856: Scientific Ladies - Experiments with Condensed Gases. | Hill Heat
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 285ppm. As of 2025, 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 19th century was kinda exciting for “science” (new word, only just taking over from “natural philosophy”).
The specific context was Eunice Foote was a campaigner for women’s suffrage, and a scientist.
What I think we can learn from this – we could have done better as a species, but, well, here we are…
What happened next
Foote’s work specifically on climate was forgotten, but then rediscovered by retired petroleum geologist Ray Sorenson. In January 2011, in the American Association of Petroleum Geologists‘ on-line journal Search and Discovery he had this article.-: “Eunice Foote’s Pioneering Research On CO2 And Climate Warming“
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:
September 13, 1661 – Fumifugium! – All Our Yesterdays
September 13, 1976 – US news broadcast on ozone and climate.
September 13, 1984 – unsettling Seattle workshop on sea level rise – All Our Yesterdays
