Forty seven years ago today, they’re half-way through what SHOULD have been a crucial meeting…
2-6 April Annapolis Maryland DOE and AAAS meeting on social science and climate.
CRIPSIN TICKELL PRESENT – see his October 1979 article in EUROPE
YOU HAVE DONE THIS ONE!!
April 4, 1979 – DOE and AAAS meet on social science and climate – All Our Yesterdays
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 336ppm. As of 2026 it is 428ppm, but check here for daily measures.
The broader context was that since 1977 the Department of Energy had been hosting conferences, famously Miami Beach in March of 77 and commissioning reports about carbon dioxide build up. The Carter administration was “on it” as it were – or the Carter administration wasn’t, but people working in the DOE were. And I think a lot of this is probably down to a nuclear physicist called Alvin Weinberg. Anyway, here we are in April of 79 and the crucial things here are that
- Tom Wigley of the Climatic Research Unit was present and presenting.
b) Crispin Tickell, then the consigliere for Roy Jenkins, was present at this meeting. We know this thanks to Tickell’s October 1979 article in Europe magazine.
The specific context was that by 1979 smart people were beginning to “freak out”, in a very measured and contained way.
What I think we can learn from this is that we have known for so long. And done so little (well, made the whole shituation much worse).
What happened next:
Nature ran an editorial in May 1979 that namechecked this conference. The DOE asked people like Schelling to do a report on the societal implications that was released in early 1980 and whatever progress was being made towards tackling the carbon dioxide problem was halted with the coming of the Ronald Reagan gang in January of 1981 and here we are completely fine. Fuck. Risk.
Also on this day
April 4, 1964 – Revelle’s PSAC Working Group Five
April 4, 1957 – New Scientist runs story on carbon dioxide build-up
April 4, 1964 – President Johnson’s Domestic Council on climate…
April 4, 1978 – UK Chief Scientific Advisor worries about atmospheric C02 build-up
April 4 – Interview with Ro Randal about “Living With Climate Crisis