Thread by @our_yesterdays

Tomorrow and Tuesday the temperature in parts of the UK will hit 40 degrees Celsius. Birds will fall from the sky. Animals will die. Humans will die.

#ClimateTwitter is understandably angry, sad, fearful.

Take care of each other.

And, a thread to show WE WERE WARNED.
🧵
1/n

I don't mean in 2015, or in 1997, or even in 1988, when Thatcher made her speech at the Royal Society.

I do @our_yesterdays to excavate the longer history.
I will skip over the 1950s and 1960s (trust me, there's lots there).

Will start in 70s.

Happy to answer questions

2/n

On April 22nd 1975 the World Trends committee discussed climate change - the Met Office provided a discussion paper.

allouryesterdays.info/2022/04/22/apr…

#WeWereWarned

3/n

A year later, on June 18 1976, the Met Office was explaining climate to the Cabinet Office. We know this because of this excellent article -

allouryesterdays.info/2022/06/18/jun…

#WeWereWarned
4/n

Four days later, on 22nd June 1976, the Times newspaper (pre-Murdoch) carried a story

allouryesterdays.info/2022/06/21/jun…

#WeWereWarned
5/n

By April 4, 1978, in the aftermath of the US National Academy of Science report on Energy and Climate, the UK Chief Scientific Advisor was beginning to worry
allouryesterdays.info/2022/04/04/apr…

#WeWereWarned
6/n

Two years later, John Ashworth was still trying to raise the alarm, via the Right Channels.

allouryesterdays.info/2022/04/16/apr…

#WeWereWarned
7/n

As Chief Scientific Advisor, John Ashworth even tried, in 1980, to brief the Prime Minister, one Margaret Thatcher on the threat.

How did it go?

She replied incredulously “you want me to worry about the weather?”

#WeWereWarned
8/n

8 years after Thatcher's sneer, the issue broke thru, thnx to tremendous hard work by scientists, activists. They proposed a 20% cut in emissions by 2005, the "Toronto Target".

On March 13 1989, the UK government Shat. All. Over. That.

allouryesterdays.info/2022/03/13/mar…

#WeWereWarned
9/n

On January 28 1993 a protest was held outside Parliament. It was LITERALLY called "Wake Up, the World is Dying." See this brilliant guest post by a participant, Hugh Warwick, @hedgehoghugh

allouryesterdays.info/2022/01/28/jan…

#WeWereWarned
10/n

This is not a new problem.
This is not a problem of INFORMATION.
This is not just about carbon dioxide molecules.
This is abt humans' ability to see the peril they're in (have helped create) & to act w/ speed, intelligence, persistence, courage, now.
#WeWereWarned
11/n

Boom and Bust magical thinking won't work.
Trusting politicians won't work.
Innovation, persistence, actual movement-building MIGHT give us a chance to salvage something from the wreckage...

RTs very welcome.

#WeWereWarned
12/12

@ZoeatShine @jomurphypilates

@MrMatthewTodd @TheGreenParty

Historical perspective on UK - "we were warned"

@JamesGDyke @GeorgeMonbiot @jasonhickel - any signal boost appreciated...

@ClimateBen @kevpluck @KevinClimate @EganHistory @MichaelEMann

@JKSteinberger @KHayhoe @leahstokes @UE @Greenpeace @GreenpeaceUK @ExtinctionR

@stukhan - may be of interest

Hello @Eddystone506 - this may be of interest...