Fifty five years ago, on this day, May 20th, 1970, the Navy Undersea Research and Development Centre (NUC) held a symposium…
“If the greenhouse effect manifests itself as a result of continued burning of fossil fuels, there is little doubt that it would be catastrophic.”
NUC Symposium on Environmental Preservation, 20-21 May, 1970 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822031466642&view=1up&seq=7&skin=2021&q1=greenhouse
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 325ppm. As of 2025 it is 430ppm, but check here for daily measures.
The context was that the carbon dioxide build-up issue had been steadily growing, especially since the 1965 message to Congress by Lyndon Johnson and the report at the end of the same year by the PSAC.
What I think we can learn from this is that by 1970, carbon dioxide as an issue to keep a serious eye on was becoming embedded in scientific circles. What a species we are.
What happened next. By the late 1970s the significant uncertainties were gone. But the elite politicians did not act. In 1988 the issue broke through.
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 20, 1959 Times of India letter about Teller and CO2 – All Our Yesterdays
May 20, 1960 – Spengler suggests decline of the … whole shebang
May 20, 1976 – UK World Trends committee chair worries about the weather… – All Our Yesterdays
May 20, 1977 – Australian Prime Minister says “coal, not solar” is the future