Global Cooling, Global Warming: Historical Dimensions

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Global Change ◽  
The Past ◽  
American Meteorological Society ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Global Cooling ◽  
History Of ◽  
American Geophysical ◽  
American Geophysical Union ◽  
Recent Policy

I have chosen to conclude these essays just as the well-known IGY was getting started. Of course, much has changed since then. There is little to gain, however, by attempting to recount the recent policy history of global change, at least from my perspective as a historian of science and technology. I have tried in this book to provide fresh perspectives on the more distant past, not to replicate the recent literature on global change. Although I am actively engaged in projects sponsored by the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union that document the recent past, I have little inclination to attempt to interpret it. Consequently I include in this chapter only the briefest sketch of the global cooling scare after 1958 and the return of a global warming discourse in the 1980s. I believe the metaphor of apprehension (awareness, understanding, fear, intervention) applies quite well to a number of current environmental issues, and I will point to some of them by way of conclusion. I was asked once after a seminar whether, as a historian, I could predict the eventual demise of today’s global change discourse, since there had been so many changes in the past. I responded that history has no predictive value, but does indeed provide valuable perspectives to its readers. History is first and foremost the study of change. For students of global change, history can serve as an inspirational story of how far we have come. It can also serve as a humbling reminder that change is indeed inevitable in our lives, in the Earth system, and in our ideas and institutions. Although I am professionally engaged with the past, I am still a citizen of my own age—an age of vastly enhanced environmental awareness. Like many of my contemporaries, I believe that humanity is a part of, not apart from, nature; that human activity is placing tremendous stress on global biophysical systems; and that we have an ethical responsibility to each other and to future generations to live sustainably, in harmony with the Earth. Your guesses about the future are probably as good as and perhaps better than mine.

Obituary notices of fellows deceased

1877 ◽  
Vol 25 (171-178) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Past History ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Earth ◽  
History Of ◽  
Reign Of Terror ◽  
Accurate Observation

George Poulett Scrope. It is scarcely possible at the present day to realize the conditions of that intellectual “reign of terror” which prevailed at the commencement of the present century, as the consequence of the unreasoning prejudice and wild alarm excited by the early progress of geological inquiry. At that period, every attempt to explain the past history of the earth by a reference to the causes still in operation upon it was met, not by argument, but by charges of atheism against its propounder; and thus Hutton’s masterly fragment of a ‘Theory of the Earth,’ Playfair’s persuasive‘ Illustrations,’ and Hall’s records of accurate observation and ingenious experiment had come to be inscribed m a social Index Expurgatorius ,and for a while, indeed, might have seemed to be consigned to total oblivion. Equally injurious suspicions were aroused against the geologist who dared to make allusion to the important part which igneous forces have undoubtedly played in the formation of certain rocks; for the authority of Werner had acquired an almost sacred cha­racter; and “ Vulcanists ” and “ Huttonians ” were equally objects of aversion and contempt. To two men who have very recently—and within a few months of one another—passed away from our midst, science is indebted for boldly en­countering and successfully overcoming this storm of prejudice. Hutton and his friends lived a generation too soon ; and thus it was reserved tor Lyell and Scrope to carry out the task which the great Scotch philosopher had failed to accomplish, namely, the removal of geology from the domain of speculation to that of inductive science.

The Common Fossils of The British Rocks

The Geologist ◽  
1858 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-29
Author(s):  
S. J. Mackie
Keyword(s):  
Past History ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
The Road ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Common

In a magazine devoted especially to the propagation of Geological knowledge, it seems no infringement of its space, no deterioration of its value, tha t some pains should be taken to aid the student in his early efforts, and to disperse broadcast some useful elementary information, which may prove to the mass at once a source of instruction and of enjoyment, and so, by clearing the road to future and higher studies, may foster a dawning taste, and ultimately prove the means of adding many volunteers, and not unlikely even some brilliant master-minds to the ranks of Geologists, that otherwise, deterred at the outset, might perhaps have turned their attention and talents to some more accessible, if not more congenial study.Who does not feel some interest in the past history of this beautiful world—the scene of our labours and of our loves—of our successes and of our failures—the stage of our existence and the tomb of our dust ? If the animated creations of the past were dumb brute animals, still the earth was green and gay with trees, and plants and flowers—the hu m of insects vibrated on the summer's air, and the snows of winter covered the ancient lands with their hyemal mantle—the tides of ocean rose and fell, and the world went rolling on through time and space, through years and seasons. There were earthquakes the n and blazing volcanos—and winds and storms—great waves and merry dancing ripples on the sea.

A Discussion on the evolution of the Precambrian crust - Introductory remarks

1973 ◽  
Vol 273 (1235) ◽  
pp. 316-316 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Early History ◽  
Geological Time ◽  
Precambrian Rocks ◽  
The Past ◽  
Geological Processes ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of

The realization that the behaviour of the Earth has changed radically during geological time has come about largely in the last decade. This development, which constitutes one of the major advances in geological thinking, results from the study of Precambrian phenomena in many parts of the world and in particular from the work of a small number of geochronologists. In the last ten years as large numbers of unfossiliferous Precambrian rocks have been dated, it has become clear that the nature of geological processes has varied throughout geological time and that one of the cardinal doctrines of geology - the concept that the present is the key to the past — could not be applied to the study of the early history of the Earth.

scholarly journals EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (9SE) ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Basanti Jain
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Short Wave ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Long Wave ◽  
The World ◽  
Abnormal Increase ◽  
Ionizing Radiations ◽  
Long Wave Infrared

The abnormal increase in the concentration of the greenhouse gases is resulting in higher temperatures. We call this effect is global warming. The average temperature around the world has increased about 1'c over 140 years, 75% of this has risen just over the past 30 years. The solar radiation, as it reaches the earth, produces "greenhouse effect" in the atmosphere. The thick atmospheric layers over the earth behaves as a glass surface, as it permits short wave radiations from coming in, but checks the outgoing long wave ones. As a result, gradually the atmosphere gets heated up during the day as well as night. If such an effect were not there in the atmosphere the ultraviolet, infrared and other ionizing radiations would have also entered our atmosphere and the very existence of life would have been endangered. The ozone layer shields the earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiations. The warm earth emits long wave (infrared)   radiations, which is partly absorbed by the green house gaseous blanket. This atmospheric blanket raises the earth’s temperature.

scholarly journals Roberta Rudnick Receives 2017 Harry H. Hess Medal

Eos ◽  
2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
New Orleans ◽  
Fall Meeting ◽  
The Earth ◽  
American Geophysical ◽  
American Geophysical Union

Roberta Rudnick was awarded the 2017 Harry H. Hess Medal at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 13 December 2017 in New Orleans, La. The medal is for “outstanding achievements in research on the constitution and evolution of the Earth and other planets.”

scholarly journals Andrew C. Revkin Receives 2015 Robert C. Cowen Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism

Eos ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
General Public ◽  
Fall Meeting ◽  
Science Journalism ◽  
The Earth ◽  
American Geophysical ◽  
Or Team ◽  
Space Sciences ◽  
American Geophysical Union ◽  
Accurate Reporting

Andrew C. Revkin received the 2015 Robert C. Cowen Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 16 December 2015 in San Francisco, Calif. The award recognizes "a journalist or team of journalists who have made significant, lasting, and consistent contributions to accurate reporting on the Earth and space sciences for the general public."

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