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CO2 Newsletter

C02 Newsletter Vol. 3, no. 3 – “Presently no self-proclaimed environmental-protection groups are clamoring for increased funding for CO2-greenhouse studies”

The fifteenth edition of the CO2 Newsletter, published bi-monthly by American geologist William N. Barbat between 1979 and 1982 is live. You can download a pdf and see the full text here.

The eight page issue has a front page story on what the Florida coast looks like when the world is warmer (as we’re now finding out).

There’s a banger of an editorial – Barbat is beginning to realise that, basically, he’s on his own…

Presently no self-proclaimed environmental-protection groups are clamoring for increased funding for CO2-greenhouse studies. Not one scientific organization has issued a position paper on the CO2 problem, and scientific magazines have yet to treat the CO2 problem with genuine concern, especially in editorials.

The news media frequently have reported on the CO2 problem in articles, but with no real continuity or editorial comment. Congressional hearings on the CO2 problem have been brief, infrequent and not well attended by lawmakers. Other governments have not matched the U.S. government in a substantive fashion in CO2-greenhouse research. (emphasis added)

Barbat imagines that there might be, well – read it and weep –

“If the results of such an effort illustrate the seriousness and urgency which we anticipate, it might be possible to generate a well-funded, international geophysical program comparable to that of the International Geophysical Year (the ‘International Carbon Dioxide Year’), with a long-term funding potential for critical programs.

There’s all the reader has come to expect – excerpts from recent reports, Barbat’s own takes etc.

Gaia, what an achievement this was.

Categories
Denial United States of America

 March 10, 2015 – Florida governor denies banning words “climate change”

Ten years ago, on this day, March 10th, 2015,

Florida Gov. Scott Denies Banning Phrase ‘Climate Change’

March 10, 20154:16 PM ET

Heard on All Things Considered

By Greg Allen https://www.npr.org/2015/03/10/392142452/florida-gov-scott-denies-banning-phrase-climate-change

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 401ppm. As of 2025 it is 427ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was that even if the Florida governor didn’t ban mention of carbon dioxide, climate change, it’s entirely plausible that he could have. And these sorts of cultural battles in the United States with Republicans wanting to wish things they don’t like away, well known. It’s really the hide and seek tactic of a child who doesn’t understand that they’re not the center of the universe. “If I close my eyes and can’t see you, that means that you can’t see me.” The world doesn’t work like that, and most people figure that out when they’re quite young. Others, not so much. 

What I think we can learn from this. In the following 10 years Florida has had various hurricanes which don’t stick around in public memory the way that I think things used to (maybe I could be wrong), and large parts of it are going to be reclaimed by the ocean, as per the 1958 warning by Frank Capra. (LINK)

What happened next

They have stopped denying that they are denying climate change. In May 2024 another Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis signs bill scrubbing ‘climate change’ from Florida state laws.

And the Trump administration is De Santis writ large, without any of Governor Scott’s equivocation…

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: 

March 10, 1988 – Congressional staff (go on a) retreat on Climat

March 10, 2010 – ABC chairman gives stupid speech to staff

March 10, 2012- RIP Sherry Rowland