Ninety eight years ago, on this day, May 27th, 1927, the Ford Motor Company ceases manufacture of the Ford Model T and begins to retool plants to make the Ford Model A.
For more info, read this below from someone who has had a couple (cough, cough) of letters published in the pink’un.
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 306ppm. As of 2025 it is 430ppm, but check here for daily measures.
The context was that the American economy was booming. Jazz Age, Prohibition, Gatsby etc etc. Could the good times EVER end?
What I think we can learn from this is that the choices we are given – for “positional goods” – that allow us to demonstrate (to ourselves as much as others) our “individuality” and our “freedom” are, um corporate creations.
Is there something between this and dungeons like East Germany? I don’t know. Probably there was. But now? It’s not clear to me at all.
What happened next The marketing of trivial differences to feed (and create) people’s insecurities was ramped up and up. The emissions went up. The concentrations went up. The Great Acceleration happened…
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 27, 1971 – Australia gets a Minister of the Environment
May 27, 1973 – World Council of Churches wrings its hands
May 27, 1996 – Not just a river in Egypt – denial in #Australia, organised, ramifying…