Since the Industrial Revolution, scientists have been gradually raising the alarm regarding the implications of human progress and its effects on the global climate. In 1975, the esteemed Harvard biologist George Wald warned of the disastrous potential for global warming due to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the subsequent rise of global temperatures. In doing so, Wald became one of the earliest major scientific figures to publicly address the issue of climate change, marking the official beginning of public scientific acknowledgment of global warming.
From there, the global scientific community began to move forward with further research, beginning to directly link human behavior to an ever-increasing risk of long-term damage to the planetary environment. In 1979, United States National Academy of Sciences issued the first report on the effects of carbon dioxide and other “greenhouse” gases. This report was significantly more specific than Wald’s warning and was the first time that the science on global warming was broached from side-to-side. The report argued that the increase in atmospheric CO2 posed a tangible threat to global temperatures and climate patterns.
Furthermore, many other scientific groups soon followed suit, particularly in 1988 when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was founded. The organization, gathering representatives from 113 countries, was created to gather and assess available scientific evidence for climate change and make recommendations for the international community. Drawing from the information gathered from hundreds of scientific sources worldwide, the IPCC soon released the first of the its famed climate change assessment reports, warning of a spike in global temperatures due to an overwhelming increase in carbon dioxide production.
It is clear that an appreciation of global warming and its danger to humanity has existed for many decades, but due to the lack of tangible evidence and the failure of the international community to act on these warnings, it has taken decades to make progress. Now, however, more evidence is available, and this awareness needs to be acted upon for Planetary protection.
It is time for governments and citizens to take responsibility for their actions and to work valiantly to reduce emissions and implement adaptive solutions. We have faced this challenge before during the Industrial Revolution and overcome it, and we must likewise do so again today. A commitment to sustainable development and the installation of proper policies is essential if we want to avert an ecological crisis.
We may lack the solutions to reverse the damage done, but by raising awareness and taking the necessary steps towards mitigation, we can still keep the Earth safe for future generations. It is essential to recognize the issue, to not only bring facts to our discussions, but also to spark the necessary global attitude change in reference to our influence on the planet. To win this battle, we must all unite and stand together to defend the planet and its life.
When Did Scientists First Warn About Global Warming
