Weart 7

In the early 1980s politicians began to pay attention
Al Gore had heard about the issue in college, saw opportunity to take the lead
environmental issues were already politicized--how much government regulation?

Fears were still going in different directions

• A nuclear war could destroy life on earth by putting so much dust in the upper atmosphere it would cause a nuclear winter
• but the point is humans do have the power to have catastrophic effects on climate

Scientists were being cautious, not yet calling for action, just more research
A 1983 Environmental Protection Agency report was stronger about the threat
but saw no practical actions

1985 Villach conference was one place where calls for action by scientists began
meanwhile the regulation of CFCs showed international action was possible

More publicity in the summer of 1988
the environmental movement began to shift from issues of chemical pollution to global warming
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) brought together scientists and people involved in government regulation

Not just in times of crisis, but this quote is about the COVID-19 situation: “Unfortunately people in times of crisis forget that science is a proposition and a conversation and an argument. I know everybody’s desperate for absolute truth, but any scientist will say that’s not what we’re dealing with.” -- @ivanoransky https://nyti.ms/34BmNJm