Global Warming: What we knew in '82

[greenman3610]

Mike MacCracken was the first high level climate scientist that Al Gore introduced me to in Nashville, some 5 years ago. Although I knew something about the issue, and had some background reading and writing about energy and environment – Mike very quickly made me realize how much I had wrong, and how much I had to learn. He has been a reliable and generous advisor and mentor ever since. I owe him a lot for his patience in answering questions and pointing me to people and resources I needed to be aware of.

A few months ago, I became aware of a video of Mike’s presentation on Climate Change at Sandia Labs in August 1982. The contrast between what scientists already knew even 30 years ago, and the pathetically slow response to this gathering storm, prompted me to want to find out what Mike was thinking now, with three decades of perspective.

I interviewed Mike at the Universty of Michigan in February, where we both attended a climate conference a the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise. (he was invited. I kind of crashed the party and was allowed to hang out..)

[snagglepuss]

1. My Grade 11 teacher in 1972 talked about the greenhouse effect.

I actually have a very clear memory of his gallows humor regarding the apathy he predicted would accompany the warming planet.

[truebrit71]

2. K&R Definitely worth a look..

..we've been sitting on our hands for the last 30 years..

[tclambert]

3. Even longer. His 1982 presentation quoted scientists from 1957 and 1958.

[ffr]

4. Don't want to be a downer, but...

We're already beyond the tipping point. We've done nothing about it and won't be able to convince enough people to make a big enough difference, so just enjoy the moment, your family and friends. Indeed 99% of everything we do is earthly unnatural and unsustainable. No other species is like we are.

Agent Smith's words sound so profound. Hard to believe a movie line sums it up so completely:

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[greiner3]

5. Loves me;

ANY Climate Crock of the Week video.

[HoosierCowboy]

6. The Most Immediate Issue

Is not sea level rise or disappearring sea ice. We can look forward increasing drought destroying harvests before they get to the food supply chain.
There will be a lot less people around to see the full effects of climate change because starvation will kill them first.
Out west since the 1950s the amount of rainfall has decreased by half, making what was once marginal ranch and farmland turn into desert.
Prime farmland has turned marginal. and the beat goes on.....
Less farmland, less food, more people.
More people, less food, more starvation.
The solution to climate change is inevitable, a major portion of the human population will starve to death overnight, mainly in the undeveloped world and lead to increased social unrest.
It can happen in one years time.
Climate change deniers should be issued half rations during the coming food emergency. Hungry? Eat some economic growth!

[dembotoz]

7. thank you for depressing the shit out of me this morning

[SamG]

8. Great video, these videos are always the best.

an attitude of "it's too late" is not going to get us anywhere.

But the bottom lines from this video, well, we're in more trouble than the scientists could have predicted we would be in by this point in time.