1965:
President’s Science Advisory Committee Report on Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide...
...reported to Lyndon Johnson that "By the year 2000 the increase in atmospheric CO2 will be close to 25%. This may be sufficient to produce measurable and perhaps marked changes in climate, and will almost certainly cause significant changes in the temperature and other properties of the stratosphere.” The report was entitled:
"Restoring the Quality of Our Environment”
"Restoring!" This term was used 53 years ago; indicating that the level of excessive atmospheric carbon was already past safe levels more than 50 years ago. It had increased by 7% between 1860 and 1960 (1.3% from 1958 to 1963). The report predicts melting ice caps, rising sea levels, acidification of water sources, and more. The report links that increase directly to humanity’s behavior:, the Committee reports:
“Carbon dioxide is being added to the earth’s atmosphere by the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas at the rate of 6 billion tons a year.”
The report recommended:
“economic incentives to discourage pollution” in which “special taxes would be levied against polluters.” Think CarboTax Click on the report title above to read the report; or click here.
What Do We Do Now?
It's about "us" not "them"
It always has been, The largest culprits of excessive are cars and trucks and manufacturing of products we consume. Besides generating carbon is reducing excess carbon in the atmosphere; a process called "carbon sequestering" This breaks down to the following action items.
- Drive less
- Bike
- Public transportation
- Purchase less products in single use packaging that requires manufacturing which in turn generates carbon
- Eat less meat. The manufacturing of meat generates carbon (Not to mention waste of water which generates more carbon)
- Plant more
- Plants pull carbon out of the air (carbon sequestering) and replace it with fresh oxygenated air
- Leafy plants such as philodendrons and spider plants are good examples. There are a lot of people on the planet. If everyone in the U.S. planted the effect would be multiplied by 200 million plus. It would truly be a "grass roots" solution
