Global Warming: An Inconvenient History

Simon Clark・2 minutes read

Human emissions of carbon dioxide have been identified as the cause of planetary warming since the early 20th century, with significant figures like Al Gore and Roger Revel playing key roles in bringing climate change to the forefront. Despite early warnings from scientists like Heinrich Von ficker and Guy Callendar, the idea that human CO2 emissions could impact the climate was not widely accepted until the 1980s, with data showing a clear increase in global temperatures.

Insights

  • Human understanding of the impact of carbon dioxide emissions on climate dates back centuries, with key figures like Joseph Black and Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier laying the groundwork for this knowledge.
  • The 20th-century contributions of scientists like Roger Revel, Guy Callendar, and Charles David Keeling were pivotal in quantifying the effects of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions on global temperatures, leading to a growing consensus on human-caused global warming by the 1980s.

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Recent questions

  • What caused the unusual weather patterns in 1911?

    The unusual weather patterns in 1911, including warm cities, wilted crops, and financial losses for farmers, were attributed to human emissions of carbon dioxide causing planetary warming. This was highlighted in a report by Popular Mechanics in 1912, indicating the early recognition of the impact of carbon dioxide on climate.

  • Who played a significant role in bringing climate change to the mainstream in 2006?

    In 2006, Al Gore played a significant role in bringing climate change to the mainstream. While his efforts were crucial in raising awareness, the scientific understanding of climate change dates back centuries, with key figures like Joseph Black and Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier laying the groundwork for our current understanding of Earth's temperature regulation.

  • What did Eunice Newton Foote discover in 1856?

    In 1856, Eunice Newton Foote conducted experiments that demonstrated carbon dioxide's ability to trap heat. This discovery, often overshadowed by John Tyndall's work, was crucial in understanding the greenhouse effect and the role of carbon dioxide in regulating Earth's temperature.

  • Who predicted the impact of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions on global temperatures in the late 19th century?

    Svante Arrhenius and Arvid Hugbum made calculations in the late 19th century that predicted the impact of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions on global temperatures. Their work laid the foundation for understanding the long-term consequences of increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

  • What was the significance of Charles David Keeling's data set in 1958?

    Charles David Keeling's data set from Antarctica and Hawaii in 1958 showed a clear increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations year on year. This precise measurement allowed for a better understanding of the impact of human activities on carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, highlighting the ongoing trend of rising CO2 concentrations.

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Summary

00:00

Climate Change: Historical Discoveries and Warnings

  • Popular Mechanics reported in 1912 on the unusual weather patterns of the previous year, with warm cities, wilted crops, and significant financial losses for farmers.
  • Human emissions of carbon dioxide were highlighted as the cause of planetary warming in the early 20th century.
  • Al Gore's role in bringing climate change to the mainstream in 2006 was significant, but the scientific understanding of this issue dates back centuries.
  • Roger Revel, a key figure in climate research, played a crucial role in calculating the absorption rate of carbon dioxide by the Earth's oceans.
  • Joseph Black's discovery of carbon dioxide in 1757 and Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier's work on heat flow in the early 19th century laid the groundwork for understanding the Earth's temperature regulation.
  • Eunice Newton Foote's experiments in 1856 demonstrated that carbon dioxide traps heat, a discovery often attributed to John Tyndall, overshadowing her contribution.
  • Svante Arrhenius and Arvid Hugbum's calculations in the late 19th century predicted the impact of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions on global temperatures.
  • Guy Callendar's 1938 paper estimated the significant amount of CO2 added to the atmosphere by humans since the 19th century, leading to a slight temperature increase.
  • Despite early warnings from scientists like Heinrich Von ficker in 1923 and Guy Callendar in 1938, the idea that human emissions of CO2 could affect the climate was not widely accepted.
  • Oceanographers like Roger Revel and Hans Seuss in the 1950s began studying the ocean's absorption of carbon dioxide, challenging the belief that the oceans could easily absorb all human-emitted CO2.

16:44

Ocean's Buffering Process Impacts Carbon Absorption

  • Oceans absorb carbon dioxide at a rate where a molecule emitted into the atmosphere is absorbed within a decade.
  • Sea water buffering process prevents ocean acidity from rising too much, leading to carbon being eventually released back into the atmosphere.
  • Revel discovered that ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide was overestimated by a factor of nine due to this buffering process.
  • Revel's late realization of the buffering mechanism's relevance was added to a paper on oceanic carbon uptake.
  • International Geophysical Year in 1957 allowed for precise measurements of carbon dioxide concentrations by Charles David Keeling.
  • Keeling's data set from Antarctica and Hawaii in 1958 showed a clear increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations year on year.
  • Climate change signs emerged in the 1960s with more crop failures, floods, and droughts globally.
  • Debate in the 1970s on global cooling versus warming due to combustion products' cooling effects in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • By the 1980s, consensus emerged on human-caused global warming, with data showing a significant increase in average global temperature.
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