Tag: Synfuels

Forty seven years ago, on this day, July 17th, 1979,

U.S. Senate, Committee on Governmental Affairs, Synthetic Fuels, Hearing, 17–20 July 1979)

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The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 337ppm. As of 2026, 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 the dream of turning coal into oil/gas was an old one. It is, technically doable but only at enormous (financial and ecological) cost.

In the aftermath of the 1973 Arab oil embargo and the quadrupling of energy prices, governments were looking again at synthetic fuels…

The specific context was that the Carter administration had been forging ahead, even as climate scientists (then a new breed) were warning of the carbon dioxide implications…(the first world climate conference had just happened).

What I think we can learn from this:  We are not a terribly bright species.

What happened next – Helmut Schmidt got Abraham Ribicoff switched onto the climate problem. The synfuels never happened.  The emissions and atmospheric concentrations kept climbing. Oh well. 

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On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

July 30, 1979 – synfuels would be sinful…

July 30, 1979 – scientists warn US Senators about synfuels and carbon dioxide build-up

References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

July 17, 1912 – Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal on climate change 

July 17, 1968 – Scoop Jackson’s colloquium 

July 17, 1991 – G7 DOESN’T talk about climate… 

July 17, 2006 – Australian Prime Minister shits on renewables, blah blah “realistic” 

July 17, 2014 – Australian elected idiot is highly visibly idiotic 

Forty five years ago, on this day, July 30th, 1979, politicians learn that making synfuels would be a Very Bad Idea.

Panel Warned of Synthetic Fuel Danger By Katherine Ellison, July 31, 1979

A group of scientists, warning of potential ecological imbalances and climatic changes, yesterday urged the government to slow its pursuit of a large-scale synthetic fuels program.

The scientists said the ecological changes could result from higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere — one assured by product of a switch to synfuel production.

They described the so-called “greenhouse effect” whereby heat is trapped close to the earth by increased levels of carbon dioxide, and predicted some long-term effects might be erratic world food production, severe droughts in some regions and costal flooding in others.

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The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 337ppm. As of 2024 it is 426ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was that various US administrations had been quite interested in replacing Middle Eastern oil and making money at the same time. But of course, that came with fairly heavy environmental consequences, which climate scientists were at pains to point out.

What we learn is that national security and energy security can compete with other demands. Real energy trilemma at play. And that’s been going on a long time. 

What happened next – the synfuels thing went away, in part because oil prices plummeted. The emissions kept going up though…

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: 

July 30, 1968 – the UN says yes to an environment conference

July 30, 1979 – scientists warn US Senators about synfuels and carbon dioxide build-up

July 30, 1989 – UK Conservative politician warns “we have at most 25 years to take action.”