If you're not already following Mastodon's resident climate historian ➡️ @Climatehistories ⬅️ you really should be.

The article linked below does a superb job in tracing the roots of modern environmental policy, from the World War II era until today. One section in particular stood out to me...
____________________________________

Interestingly, from the 1940s through the 1970s, the world experienced a cooling period – a phenomenon largely due to sulphate aerosols released during the post-war industrial expansion. These particles reflected sunlight, temporarily cooling the Earth’s surface.

The 1963 eruption of Mount Agung also contributed by adding more aerosols that slightly reduced global temperature between 1958 and 1965.

Later research would reveal that greenhouse gas-induced warming would surpass aerosol cooling effects, setting the planet on a trajectory towards rapid warming.
____________________________________

As you can see on the graph below, that temporary "aerosol cooling effect" certainly was overcome by capitalism's massive injection of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The heat keeps on going up now, and shows no sign of stopping.

FULL ARTICLE -- theclimatehistorian.substack.c…

#Politics #History #Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis