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1859
Tyndall discovers that some gases block infrared radiation. He suggests that changes in the concentration of the gases could bring climate change. -
1870-1910
Second Industrial Revolution. Fertilizers and other chemicals, electricity, and public health further accelerate growth. -
1896
Arrhenius publishes first calculation of global warming from human emissions of CO2. -
Plass calculates that adding CO2 to the atmosphere will have a significant effect on the radiation balance
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Keeling accurately measures CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere and detects an annual rise.
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Manabe and Wetherald make a convincing calculation that doubling CO2 would raise world temperatures a couple of degrees.
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Studies suggest a possibility of collapse of Antarctic ice sheets, which would raise sea levels catastrophically.
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First Earth Day. Environmental movement attains strong influence, spreads concern about global degradation.
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Droughts in Africa, Ukraine, India cause world food crisis, spreading fears about climate change.
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Oil embargo and price rise bring first "energy crisis"
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Warnings about environmental effects of airplanes leads to investigations of trace gases in the stratosphere and discovery of danger to ozone layer.
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Strong global warming since mid-1970s is reported, with 1981 the warmest year on record.
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"Super El Niño" causes weather disasters and warmest year on record.
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First major books, movie and art work featuring global warming appear.
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Fourth IPCC report warns that serious effects of warming have become evident; cost of reducing emissions would be far less than the damage they will cause.
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Mean global temperature is 58.1°F
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Many experts warn that global warming is arriving at a faster and more dangerous pace than anticipated just a few years earlier.