| 1769 |
James
Watt patents his steam engine. |
| 1859 |
John
Tyndall builds the world's first ratio spectrophotometer
and tests the absorptive properties of atmospheric gases. |
| 1895 |
Svante
Arrhenius completes his calculations on varying CO2
levels. |
| 1895 |
Atmospheric
CO2 levels are 290 parts per million. |
| 1928 |
CFCs
are invented. |
| 1955 |
Gilbert
Plass proposes that adding more CO2 to the atmosphere would
contribute to warming the planet. |
| 1958 |
CO2
measuring equipment is installed at the Mauna
Loa Observatory |
| 1959 |
Atmospheric
CO2
levels are 315 parts per million |
| 1966 |
Golden
Toad is first discovered in The Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve
in Coast Rica |
| 1970 |
Paul
Crutzen warns that human actions may damage the ozone layer. |
| 1979 |
The
National
Academy of Sciences issues its first major report on Global
Warming: "We may not be given a warning until the CO2 loading
is such than an appreciable climate change is inevitable." |
| 1979 |
Atmospheric
CO2
levels are 337 parts per million |
| 1987 |
Golden
Toad becomes the first species declared extinct due to global
warming. |
| 1987 |
The
Montreal Protocol
is adapted. Phaseout of CFCs begins. |
| 1988 |
The
Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) is established by the World
Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment
Programme. |
| 1992 |
President
George H. W. Bush signs the U.
N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in Rio de Janeiro. |
| 1995 |
The
IPPC issues its Second Assessment Report: "The balance of
evidence suggests a discernible influence on global climate." |
| 1997 |
The
Kyoto Protocol is drafted |
| 1998 |
Average
glogal Temperatures for the year are the warmest on record. |
| 2000 |
Presidential
candidate George W. Bush calls global warming an "issue we
need to take very seriously." |
| 2000 |
Atmospheric
CO2
levels are 369 parts per million |
| 2001 |
The
IPPC issues its Third Assessment Report: "Most of the warming
observed over the last fifty years is attributable to human
activities."
A report
by the National
Research Council requested by President Bush states: "Greenhouse
gases are accumulating in Earth's atmosphere as a result of
human activities, causing subsurface ocean temperatures to rise.
Temperatures are, in fact, rising."
President
Bush announces that the United States is withdrawing from the
Kyoto Protocol. |
| 2001 |
Third
warmest year on record |
| 2002 |
Larsen
B ice shelf collapses |
| 2002 |
Second
warmest year on record |
| 2003 |
Senator
James
Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Committee on Environment
and Public Works, says he has "compelling evidence that
catastrophic global warming is a hoax."
The American
geophysical Union issues a consensus statement asserting: "Natural
influences cannot explain the rapid increase in global near-surface
temperatures." |
| 2003 |
Atmospheric
CO2
levels are 376 parts per million |
| 2003 |
Second
warmest year on record (tying with 2002) |
| 2004 |
Kyoto
Protocol is ratified by Russia. |
| 2004 |
Fourth
warmest year on record |
| 2005 |
Extent
of melt on the Greenland ice sheet reaches a record maximum.
Arctic sea
ice reaches a record minimum; researchers warn sea could be
ice-free in summer "well before the end of the century."
Kyoto Protocol
goes into effect.
The National
Academy of Sciences of the eight major industrialized nations
issue a joint statement: "The scientific understanding
of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations
taking prompt action." |
| 2006 |
Al
Gore's film AN
INCONVENIENT TRUTH is one of the top grossing documentaries
of all time. |
| 2006 |
Bush
administration considers the Polar Bear for the Endangered species
list. |
| 2006 |
The
warmest year on record (tying with 1998) |
| 2007 |
Sen.
James Inhofe, R-Okla., surrenders the gavel to Sen. Barbara
Boxer, D-Calif. Hope springs eternal. |
| 2007 |
IPPC
Issues its latest report:
“There’s a clear message to governments here, and
the window for action is narrowing fast.” |
