[LINK] History of climate concerns [Was: crooks in Sydney]

[David Boxall]

On 13/03/2011 12:22 PM, stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:
> ...
> The Washington Post, November 2, 1922.
>
> "The Arctic ocean is warming up, icebergs are growing scarcer and in some
> places the seals are finding the water too hot, according to a report to
> the Commerce Department yesterday from Consulafft, at Bergen, Norway.
>
> Reports from fishermen, seal hunters and explorers all point to a radical
> change in climate conditions and hitherto unheard-of temperatures in the
> Arctic zone. Exploration expeditions report that scarcely any ice has been
> met as far north as 81 degrees 29 minutes. Soundings to a depth of 3,100
> meters showed the gulf stream still very warm. Great masses of ice have
> been replaced by moraines of earth and stones, the report continued, while
> at many points well known glaciers have entirely disappeared.
> ...

The ancient Greeks pondered the effect on climate of human activities. 
The concept of greenhouse effect generated global warming due to the 
burning of fossil fuels has been around since at least the 19th century.

Long ago, I read that nobody much took the idea seriously until CFCs 
showed that we really can mess up the planet in life-threatening ways. 
Are we smart enough to avoid the worst-case scenario?

-- 
David Boxall                         | "Cheer up" they said.
                                     | "Things could be worse."
http://david.boxall.id.au            | So I cheered up and,
                                     | Sure enough, things got worse.
                                     |              --Murphy's musing