So what were you doing back in 1975, when the concept of "global warming" was first introduced in a study published in the journal Science?
On August 5th that year, the day Wally Broecker asked “Are we on the brink of a pronounced global warming?” (See RealClimate Story http://www.realclimate.org/...), the Phillies beat the Cubs 13-5 and set a record with 8 consecutive hits by the first players to come to bat. That same day, Stevie Wonder signed a $13 million contract with Motown.
In fact, here's a snapshot of the most significant events of that year.
Admittedly, Broecker was not the first to predict that the world's temperature was pushing upwards. In 1965, during the Johnson administration, a Stanford report warned: “By the year 2000, the increase in carbon dioxide will be close to 25%. This may be sufficient to produce measurable and perhaps marked changes in climate.”
Broecker's 1975 paper was spot on, given the information he had to work from at that time, which did not include an awareness of other forcers . .. " the present cooling trend will, within a decade or so, give way to a pronounced warming induced by carbon dioxide”, and that “by early in the next century [carbon dioxide] will have driven the mean planetary temperature beyond the limits experienced during the last 1000 years”.
His calculations predicted increased CO2 levels would result in an 0.8ºC global rise in temperatures and warned of this impact on both sea level and agriculture.
Climate Change and Population Growth
In the 38-year span between 1960 and 1999, the world population doubled from 3 to 6 billion. Prior to this, it took 70 years for the population to double from 1.5 to 3 billion. Previous population doublings were 150, 500 and 1200 years periods. Not news. But Broecker's chart (see above) leaves little doubt about the impact the burgeoning world population had on the changing climate.
And while big business, world leaders and those who scaffold our worldview have successfully employed the theory that technological innovation will save us, a theory based upon analysis of links between technological and population growth, that was before the walls of Jericho collapsed with the release of theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment report (See Meteor Blades report of yesterday Stark language of new climate report doesn't include 'we're screwed,' but without action now, we are)
The IPCC three days ago submitted a draft of its final "AR5" report for comments from government leaders through October 10th and announced that they will present the final report at a November 2 press conference on 2 November. The draft integrates key messages from the three recent working group reports: the September 2013 report on physical science, the March 2014 release on impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability and April 2014's mitigation of climate change.
There was not a single representative from the United States media on hand last in Stockholm last September for the long awaited IPCC AR5 release.
"The Stone Age didn’t end because of a lack of stones"
Let's put an end to the coal age with actions, not words. The Human Chain
Actions Not Words
I can remember when they delivered coal to my grandmother's house back in the 1950s. The truck pulling into the driveway. The men opening the grate. The loud racketing sound as coal crashing down the chute. The smell lingered in the air for hours, as we blew bubbles, teased from Nanna's secret recipe (laundry detergent and unblemished kitchen sink water) from pipe cleaner bubble wands. The sun would set. The adults would call us in. The smell would linger still, the dust scenting our play clothes, sifted in our ponytails. This memory is so intimately interlaced with the lush fabric of life back then. Inseparable from the memory of the milk man, no matter what the weather, showing up at the door before sunrise.
Those of us who recall those days were innocent.
Yet that does not mean we are not implicated. That we owe no reparations.
The climate crisis offers no one parole. There is no early release for good behavior. We are all in this together. No one has the luxury of napping.
So let's March! Let's embrace the unparalleled task before us and show up in New York City.
And then let's get to work.
Sign up For the People's Climate March Now!
New York City, Sunday, September 21
Have you signed up yet to participate in the Peoples' Climate March? The September 21 March is being held two days before the UN Climate Summit, where government and corporate leaders will convene to discuss taking action to address climate change.
Tens of thousands are expected to march in New York City and over 700 groups and organizations are participating.
Let's make September a game-changer for the climate movement. Sign up now for a bus, train, or ride shares (or volunteer transport.) Individuals, campuses, churches and organizations are registering to host marchers.
Sign up here!!! --> People's Climate March
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Two weeks before the March, the climate documentary Disruption launches. Sign up here to host or attend a screening.
Watch the Disruption trailer.