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2019 Decades of Distraction: How the United States Ignores Kaitlyn Sheehan [email protected]

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Recommended Citation Sheehan, Kaitlyn, "Decades of Distraction: How the United States Ignores Climate Change" (2019). Senior Honors Projects. Paper 709. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/709https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/709

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors Program at the University of Rhode Island at DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Honors Projects by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Decades of Distraction

Climate Change Timeline

Kaitlyn Sheehan

Communications and Public Relations Sponsor: Judith Swift, Communication Studies, Coastal Institute Purpose

This project was completed as Senior Honors Thesis Project for the University of Rhode Island. As a requirement of the program, each graduating senior must complete a project of their own that meets the University’s requirements. The purpose of my project was to highlight the lack of attention that climate change receives in the media; and hopefully incentivize journalists to increase the communication regarding climate change and users to pay greater attention to the topic. Throughout history there have been hundreds of discoveries, reports, and announcements that have been released regarding climate change, yet they hardly gain any traction in mainstream media. Oftentimes, any climate change announcement or discovery is overshadowed by pop culture, political, or economical events, wars, or catastrophes such as storms- even those that are linked in intensity to climate change.

To illustrate this, I conducted research to create a universal timeline of all major climate change milestones. I arranged them in chronological order (all climate change milestones are depicted in red). Then, I gathered all non-related events that demanded consumer attention instead of climate change reports, announcements, events, etc. There are a large amount of climate change milestones, yet only a hand-few are on the radar of the average citizen.

Typically, those who are not avid science readers can be confused and discouraged when reading scientific articles and reports. This timeline removes that barrier, as it provides general information that is understandable for all reading levels. Pictures were incorporated periodically throughout the timeline to transport the reader back to the moment they heard the news story- climate change related or otherwise.

The goal is to have the reader recognize the cycle that has continued for hundreds of years. It is evident that climate change is not going away, despite the lack of press it receives. Thus, we must begin to focus on climate change, give it the attention it deserves, and stop focusing on less important or trivial “news” events. This timeline serves as an educational resource by providing basic information about environmental policies, climate reports and milestones. ECFLFIMEACTTEIV CEH AWNAGYES TIMOEFL ISNTEU 1D69Y0IN-1G89 0 BEDeFcaOdeRs oEf D iEstrXacAtionMS

1699: French settlers move 1712 into Mississippi and Invention of the Steam Engine Louisiana

1701: War of the Spanish Thomas Newcomen invents the first Succession begins widely used steam engine. This paves the way for the Industrial Revolution and the abundant use of 1752: Benjamin Franklin coal. invents the lightning rod 1770: Boston Massacre 1773: Boston Tea Party

1775: American Revolution still going on

1776: : Declaration of Independence is signed

1789: George Washington is elected President of the United States 1793: Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin

1799: Rosetta Stone is discovered in Egypt

1803: U.S. negotiates Louisiana Purchase from 1804: Lewis and France Clark expedition begins 1824

Earth's Natural Greenhouse 1829 Effect

French physicist Joseph Fourier describes the 's natural 1838: Trail of Tears- "" Cherokee nation forced to give up its lands 1849

1861: Beginning of the Civil War 1861

Water Vapor Create the 1862: Union Pacific Greenhouse Effect Railroad complete Irish physicist John Tyndall shows that water vapor and certain other gases create the greenhouse effect. 1879: Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb

1886 1886: Statue of Invention of the Motorwagen Liberty is given to the United States Karl Benz invents and unveils the from France Motorwagen. This is often regarded as the first, true automobile.

Climate Change Announcement Long Term News Story Mainstream News

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1896 1891: Basketball is invented Svante Arrhenius Publishes 1896: Plessy vs Ferguson decision Research on Burning Fossil Fuels by the Supreme Court Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius published the idea that burning fossil fuels, such as coal, would add CO2 to the atmosphere; and thus humanity would raise the planet's 1900 average temperature. He suggests that industrial coal Knut Angstrom Discovers that burning may be beneficial for future CO2 Absorbs the Infrared generations. Spectrum 1901: The first major oil discovery in Texas occurs Knut Angstrom discovers that, at even the tiny concentrations found in the atmosphere, carbon dioxide 1902: Cuba gains strongly absorbs parts of the independence from infrared spectrum. the United States This shows that a trace gas can produce greenhouse warming.

1905: Theodore Roosevelt is inaugurated 1915: Alexander for his second term Graham Bell and Thomas A. Watson conduct first 1917: Zimmerman Telegram is telephone intercepted conversation

1916: Sinking of the Lusitania 1918: Spanish Flu epidemic

1919: Prohibition

1920-1925

1920: Women's Cheap Energy Era Begins Suffrage via 19th Amendment The Texas and Persian Gulf Oil Fields open, and begin the era of cheap energy.

1922: Teapot Dome Scandal 1929: The Great Depression begins 1938 1930: Dustbowl Guy Callendar Proves Temperatures Have Risen

British Engineer Guy Stewart Callendar uses records from 147 weather stations around the world to show that temperatures have risen over the previous century. CO2 concentrations had also risen, he suggests that the increase in CO2 caused the warming. 1939: Manhattan Project Begins

Climate Change Announcement Long Term News Story Mainstream News

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1941: Japan bombs Pearl Harbor 1945

New Studies Prove CO2 Could Build Up in Atmosphere

Thanks to an increase in 1942: Japanese- government funding, new studies Americans are were conducted that demonstrated interned that CO2 could build up in the atmosphere and bring warming. 1944: D-Day The Office of Naval Research funded basic research on climate change because of the Cold War. They wanted scientists present incase of a national emergency. This research included the disposal of nuclear debris and deep ocean circulation.

1947: Beginning 1954: Polio vaccine of the Cold War 1955 introduced

Gilbert Plass Analyzes Infrared 1955: Warsaw Pact Absorbtion formed

U.S. Researcher Gilbert Plass utilizes new technology, including early 1954: Brown v. Board computers, to analyze the infrared of Education of Topeka absorption of various gases. 1956 He concludes that doubling CO2 concentrations would increase Climate Change Makes the New temperatures by 3-4 degrees Celsius. York Times

1955: Montgomery Bus boycott An article is published in the New York Times stating that a warmer climate on Earth may be due to more CO2 in the air. 1956 There will be long-lasting environmental changes. The article Roger Revelle and Hans Seuss also predicted the world's future dependence on coal and oil. Discovery 1956: IBM introduces the first U.S. Oceanographer Roger Revelle commercial computer and chemist Hans Seuss show that seawater will not be able to absorb the additional CO2 that has entered the atmosphere, like many have predicted. Revelle writes: "Human beings are now carrying out a large scale 1957: Sputnik 1 & 2 geophysical experiment..." 1958 launched 1957: Little Rock integration Charles Keeling Begins Measuring Atmospheric CO2

Charles David Keeling starts taking systematic measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide at Mauna Loa in Hawaii and in Antarctica. 1958: NASA Project He is taking these measurements Mercury using tools that he developed himself. 1960: John F Kennedy Within four years the project elected President provides the first unequivocal proof that CO2 concentrations are rising. This project still continues today.

Climate Change Announcement Long Term News Story Mainstream News

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1961: Freedom rides 1965 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis U.S. President's Advisory Committee Panel Warning 1963 The panel warned that the greenhouse effect is concerning and that the United States should start 1963: March on Washington paying attention to it. 1965: The first U.S. troops arrive in Vietnam 1964: Civil Rights Act

1968 1969: Apollo 11

1970: Kent State shootings 1969: Woodstock 1972 1972: The Watergate Scandal First UN Environmental Conference 1973: Roe v. Wade

It later became known as the Stockholm Conference. It was held June 5-16, 1972. It set out principles for the preservation 1973: Vietnam and enhancement of the human Prisoners of War environment. A plan of action was also created that released included international recommendations. 1975 This conference raised the issue of climate change for the first time. Wallace Broecker Popularizes the Term "Global Warming" 1976: U.S. pulls out of Vietnam U.S. scientist Wallace Broecker 1975: Nixon introduces and popularizes the term resigns "global warming" in his published paper titled "Climactic Change: Are We on the Brink of a Pronounced Global Warming?" He becomes one of the first 1976: Barbara Walters becomes scientists that sounded the alarm the first female nightly network about climate change. news anchor Broecker predicted that while global climate had experienced a natural 1976: Viking I cycle of cooling, planetary lands on temperatures would soon rise Mars because of the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 1978: Camp David Peace Accord 1980

Al Gore Enters the Spotlight 1979: U.S. hostages taken in Iran Al Gore starts to receive attention regarding his lectures and viewpoints on CO2 He is re-elected to Congress and 1979: Three Mile Island holds the first congressional 1980 nuclear accident hearings on climate change He co-sponsors hearings on toxic Global Warming Makes the Front waste and global warming Page

NASA scientists James Hansen 1980 makes the New York Times front page for a study showing that the world has been warming.

Climate Change Announcement Long Term News Story Mainstream News

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1983 1981: Start of the AIDs epidemic Press Stops Covering Climate Change 1983: Sally Ride is

the first U.S. 1984: Famine in woman astronaut Ethiopia 1985 1985: Live Aid Hole in the Ozone Layer Concerts

Joe Farman, Brian Gardiner and 1985-1987: Iran Contra Affair Jonathan record the annual depletion of the ozone above the 1986: Chernobyl Antarctic. This discovery appeared in Nature in 1986: TIME publishes May of 1985. "MELTDOWN" Concern was directed towards skin 1987 cancer, crop yield, autoimmune issues and blindness instead of Montreal Protocol Created global warming.

1987: Ronald Reagan is The Montreal Protocol is a global President- vows to eliminate agreement to protect the restrictions on coal, opening stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and lands for mining, and 1988 shrinking the EPA consumption of ozone depleting substances such as CFCs. 1988 1987: Human population Warmest Year on Record reaches 5 billion

1989: Exxon The official warmest year on record, Valdez Oil Spill as a result the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is 1989 formed to assess evidence on climate change Scientist James Hansen makes headlines again in a Senate testimony when he says that the greenhouse effect has been 1989 detected and is changing climate 1989: The Falling of the Berlin Wall Scientists Asked to Change Their Results

The White House asks scientists to change their findings on studies relating to global warming. 1989: Tiananmen Sqaure massacre NOAA admits that their results were altered also. 1989: TIME James Hansen was asked by the releases "Planet Office of Management and Budget of the Year: Our Endangered (OMB) to demote his own scientific Earth" findings to "estimates" from models that were "evolving" and unreliable. 1989 1990 Apology from OMB IPCC Produces First Assessment The OMB issues an apology. regarding altering the testimonies. Report

1990: TIME releases "Owl Extinction" The first report concludes that temperatures have risen by 0.3-0.6 degrees celsius over the last century, 1990: Persian humanity's emissions are adding to Gulf War the atmosphere and are expected to result in warming.

Climate Change Announcement Long Term News Story Mainstream News

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October 1991: Shooting in Luby's 1991 Cafeteria in Texas killing 23 people. Skeptics Weigh in on Warming

1991: Operation Skeptics claim that 20th century Desert Storm (AKA temperature changes are linked First Gulf War) back to solar influences. 1992 1992: South Africa repeals Apartheid Laws Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro

Governments agree on United Framework Convention on climate 1992 change. The key objective is to stabilize 1993: First World concentration at a Trade Center level that would prevent dangerous bombing anthropogenic interference within 1994: TIME releases "Bengal the climate system. Tiger Extinction" Developed countries agree to return 1995 their emissions levels to 1990 levels. IPCC Second Assessment Report March 1995: OJ Simpson trial & The balance of evidence suggests a verdict discernible human influence on earth's climate-first definitive statement that humans are April 1995: Oklahoma City responsible for climate change bombing 1997 July 1996: Dolly, first cloned sheep. Kyoto Protocol

Developed nations pledge to reduce emissions by an average of 5% August 1997: between 2008-2012. The United States Senate states it will not ratify the treaty. 1998

Warmest Year on Record

1998 is the warmest year on record (to date). Later surpassed multiple times.

January 1998: News breaks of the Bill May 1998: Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal. Unabomber Clinton impeached in December. sentenced to four life terms

1999: John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, and her sister are lost at sea when a plane he was piloting disappears 1998 1999: Human population Hockey Stick Graph Published by reaches 6 billion Michael Mann 1999 The first "Hockey Stick Graph" is published. This indicated that modern day temperature rise within the northern hemisphere is unusual 2000 compared within the last 1000 years. Many scientists were skeptical and rejected the graph.

Climate Change Announcement Long Term News Story Mainstream News

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2001 Jan 2001: Earthquake hits India and kills over 20,000 people IPCC Third Assessment

MARCH 2001 Third Assessment Report finds new and stronger evidence that U.S. Will Not Implement Kyoto humanity's emissions of greenhouse gases are the main cause of Protocol warming seen in the second half of President George W. Bush the 20th century. announced that the U.S. would not September 2001: 9/11 Attacks on implement the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. the World Trade Center The U.S. 2001 declares a war on terrorism. Sets out on Project Enduring Freedom.

2002: Priest pedophelia exposed OCTOBER 2002

2002 8th Climate of Parties meets in New Delhi

2004: Creation of Facebook Set out to form the "Delhi Declaration" that called for developed nations to transfer technology and minimize the impact 2005 of climate change on developing countries. UK Prime Minister Sets Priority

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair places 2004: TIME releases "Saving climate change as a priority for his the Big Cats" terms as chair of the G8 and president of the EU. 2005

Kyoto Protocol Goes into Effect

The Kyoto Protocol becomes international law for all countries Hurricane Katrina hits the US- that are still signed. initial damage was significant, but The U.S. is heavily criticized for still aftermath damaged levees that not participating. flooded, over 35,000 needed to 2005: Senate voted to confirm be rescued Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State. She is the first African TIME releases "Hurricanes and American and second woman to hold Global Warming" this position.

NOVEMBER 2006

Nairobi Climate Conference TIME releases "Special Report: Conference was centered around Global Warming" creating measures and a plan to help developing countries adapt to 2006: President Bush signs a law the negative effects of global renewing the Patriot Act warming. Set in place criteria for decision 2006: Death of making regarding mitigation and Steve Irwin adaptation process.

Climate Change Announcement Long Term News Story Mainstream News

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2007 April: Shooting at Viirginia Tech, 32 killed IPCC Fourth Assessment

IPCC’s fourth assessment report concludes it is more than 90% likely that humanity’s emissions of 2008 greenhouse gases are responsible for modern-day climate change. Keeling Project Results 2008- Presidential Election, 50 years later, the Keeling Project Obama Elected: He promises to shows that CO2 concentrations have engage with the rest of the world risen from 315 ppm to 380 ppm in on climate change 2008. TIME releases "War on The Great Global Warming" Recession occurs from 2008-2009 in 2009 the U.S.

January 2009: China becomes the world's Captain Chelsey biggest greenhouse gas Sullenberger lands a emitter. plane on the Hudson River.

April 2009: Captain Philipps was taken NOVEMBER 2009 hostage by Somali Pirates "Climategate" Happens

DECEMBER 2009 Experts warn that global warming is arriving at a faster and more UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen dangerous pace than anticipated. Excerpts from stolen emails of 192 governments convene for the climate scientists fuel public UN Climate summit. They leave with skepticism. a controversial declaration and Emails are downloaded from a voluntary framework. server at the University of East Set a deadline for countries to put Anglia's Climactic Research Unit. forward pledges of what they were planning to do to cut emissions of 2009-2010 CO2 and other heat trapping gasses. Fast Start Finance 2009-2010: The Swine Flu Epidemic takes over Developed countries begin America contributing to a three year deal called "Fast Start Finance'. January 2010: The goal is to help them become Earthquake hits Haiti more "green" and adapt to climate change impacts. April 2010 : BP Oil Spill A way to help finance mitigation. (recognized as the worst oil spill in the world) March 2011: 9.0-9.1 magnitude earthquake hits Japan, causes tsunami. May 2011: Osama Bin 2011 Laden is killed

Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the Rise 2012

Data shows that concentrations of Arctic Sea ice greenhouse gases are rising faster Arctic Sea Ice reaches extent of 3.41 than in previous years square km. Oct-Nov 2012: Hurricane Sandy hits the U.S. This is the record for the lowest summer cover since satellite December 2012: Sandy Hook measurements began in 1979 Elementary School shooting (27 killed)

Climate Change Announcement Long Term News Story Mainstream News

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MAY 2013 January 15: President Obama The Mauna Loa Observatory is inaugurated for Report a second term The Mauna Loa Observatory on April 15: Boston Marathon Hawaii reports that the daily mean Bombing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has surpassed 400ppm June: Floods in Alberta, for the first time. Canada July: Jury finds George Zimmerman not SEPTEMBER 2013 guilty for the death of Trayvon Martin.

IPCC Releases a Report Calling August: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Climate Change "Unequivocal" signs legislation banning gay conversion therapy for minors

Even if the world begins to August: Chemical moderate greenhouse gas Attack on Syria leaves emissions, warming is likely to cross thousands of people the critical 2C threshold by the end dead of the century. State that there is no longer room October: The US for doubt that climate change was government launches occurring. Obamacare for the first time

November : Whitey Bulger sentenced to life in prison 2014

Third National Climate Assessment Released

December 5: Nelson The report identifies evidence of Mandela Dies climate change in every region. This report proves that global warming is caused by the burning of 2014 fossil fuels. IPCC Fifth Assessment Report Report also touches on stronger weather events have been recorded Scientists are now 95% certain that and are related to human activities. humans are the dominant cause of March: Malaysian Airlines global warming since the 1950s. Flight 370 vanished. No Anthropogenic emissions of crash site or any debris are greenhouse gases are the highest found they have ever been throughout May: Isis makes history. headlines, bombards the media for the following months 2014 July: Ebola epidemic The 1.5 Health Report from IPCC becomes a global health crisis States that even .5 degrees of warming could negatively impact July: World Cup in Brazil human health Warming of 1.5C is not considered safe for most communities, August: Robin Williams ecosystems, nations. commits suicide, Joan Health risks include water Rivers dies insecurity, heat related death, increase in vector-related illnesses. August: Michael December: Obama Brown is shot and announces US plans to killed by police in restore diplomatic Ferguson, Missouri relations with Cuba

Climate Change Announcement Long Term News Story Mainstream News

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January 15: Terror JUNE 2015 attack at French The West Antarctic Ice Sheet magazine Charlie Hebdo Collapses- Damage is Irreversible

April: Freddie Gray is killed by Report titled "The Great police, sparking the Black Lives Acceleration". This collapse is Matter movement projected to cause sea levels to rise June: Supreme Court up to 4 meters over the next decision to allow same- hundred-thousands of years. sex marriage nationwide This will also change the coastline across the world . DECEMBER 2015 June: Charleston Church Shooting The Paris Agreement is Signed June: China's Nations pledge to set targets for Stock Market their own greenhouse gas cuts and Crashes report their progress Agree to keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius above September: Syrian refugee crisis pre-industrial levels becomes national debate Increase ability for countries to deal with effects of climate change. October: EPA Accuses Volkswagen of cheating on diesel 2015 emissions tests Mean Global Temperature is Warmest in Thousands of Years

This was the hottest year on record. CO2 levels were also the highest in millions of years at 400 ppm. JULY 2016 January: Flint Michigan water The Warmest Month Ever crisis Recorded

This was the warmest month since modern recording started 139 years ago. June: Pulse Nightclub shooting July was 0.84C hotter than the average from 1951-1981 and 0.11C July: Police shootings hotter than the record that was set caught on video. Alton in July 2015. Sterling and Philando Castile are killed one day after eachother AUGUST 2016

August Ties July As The Warmest Month on Record

This is the 11th month to break the previous monthly heat record.

DECEMBER 2016 November: Chicago Cubs win the World 2016 is the Warmest Year on Series after 108 year Record curse November: Donald Earth's surface temperatures were Trump wins the the warmest since record keeping presidential election began in 1880. Temperatures were 0.99C warmer than mid-20th century mean. Third year in a row to set a new record. Climate Change Announcement Long Term News Story Mainstream News

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2017- GLOBAL CLIMATE REPORT January 20- Donald Trump Inaugurated Annual Global Climate Report

Mueller Investigation begins 2017 was 0.38-0.48 degrees Celsius above the 1981-2010 average. USA Gymnastics Trainer Larry Global mea sea level was also the Nassar Sexual Assault Case highest satellite record. Gains National Attention CO2 hit a new high record of 405 ppm.

March- Women's March on Washington August- White supremacist walk in JUNE 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia US Withdraws from Paris Climate Hurricane Harvey Agreement September- Hurricane Irma President Trump withdraws the United and Maria States from the Paris Climate Agreement. President Trump stated that the accord would have cost America trillions of dollars, jobs, and hinder the oil, gas, October coal and manufacturing industries. 2018 January -Government shutdown State of the Climate Report (Based of 2017)

February- Parkland Report led by NOAA that stated that Shooting greenhouse gases rose to new record high values in 2017. May 2017 was the warmest non El-Nino year on record. Global average sea level rose to a new record high in 2017. June- Families separated at US/Mexico border

July- Brett Kavanaugh nominated, sexual misconduct scandal Brett Kavanaugh OCTOBER 2018 confirmed

IPCC Special Report- Global Warming of 1.5 Celsius Polio-like cases confirmed 1.5 Celsius is the threshold that the by CDC planet cannot cross without facing the Shooting at Tree worst effects yet of climate change. of Life Synogogue Must stop emitting carbon by 2050. in Pittsburgh Planet has already risen 1 degree Celsius since the Industrial Revolution. NOVEMBER 2018

November Second Version of the Fourth National Climate Assessment November: Shooting at bar in Thousand Research conducted by 13 federal Oaks California agencies & concluded that the world's December - 372 temperature is rising and humans are cases of Measles are playing a role in it. confirmed for 2018 Growing challenges to human health, quality of life, the economy and the 2018-2019: Greta Thunberg, environment. Swedish teen, becomes Knock up to 10% off the size of the known as a climate warrior, American economy by the end of the inspires global climate century. strikes.

Climate Change Announcement Long Term News Story Mainstream News

Gun Violence National Threat/Safety Closing Thoughts

Imagine a giant asteroid on a direct collision with Earth. That is the equivalent of what we face now with climate change, yet we dither. ~James Hansen

Climate change is not a new concept; scientists have been studying it since the early 19th century. In 1824, French physicist Joseph Fourier described the earth’s natural greenhouse effect; however, neither the public nor the scientific community could predict the importance of this early discovery. Nearly 40 years later John Tyndall proved that water vapor and certain other gases created the greenhouse effect. These discoveries were made on the heels of the Industrial Revolution. Just 35 years later, Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius formulated and published the theory that burning fossil fuels would add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and thus humanity would raise the planet’s average temperature.

In addition to industrialization and mobilization, this era produced a definition of what climate change was, beyond just the greenhouse effect. In 1934, measurements showed that the U.S. and North Atlantic Region had warmed significantly during the previous half of the century. This announcement was disregarded for immediate concerns such as the Great Depression and the flu epidemic that killed 50 million people. It was ignored by the scientific community, the media, and the general public; no one understood the looming threat on the horizon. Thus began the pattern of pushing aside climate change for the sake of economic development. Over time America has embraced new technology. As history has progressed the cycle has repeated, and climate change announcements have been dominated by the economy, catastrophes, wars, and epidemics in an ever- expanding mainstream news cycle. The advent of social media added an even greater barrage of distracting news ranging from non-existent weapons of mass destruction to celebrity media mania.

Throughout the course of my research I looked historically at how the development of technology has gone hand-in-hand with the quality of life for Americans, but inversely impacted the climate. The theme throughout history has been consistent. There is a lack of focus on the climate and environment, and an unmatched focus on large scale global events, pop culture, and revved-up 24/7 news reporting. There have been progressive policies, committees and conferences that have brought about positive change such as the Montreal Protocol, the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the UN Climate Summit to name a few. Climate scientists around the globe have been collaborating to educate the public on the detrimental effect our species is having on the environment.

We are heading towards a global temperature increase of 1.5° Celsius, but we’re on the path to surpass 2° and potentially 3° Celsius. The agriculture industry will suffer as the growing season for crops continues to lengthen, sea-level will continue to rise, and coastal ecosystems and entire communities will be destroyed while natural disasters will increase in intensity and frequency around the world.

Climate change is part of our history, it is impacting our present, and our denial of it stands to destroy our future. As current political, economic and cultural events continue to dominate the news cycle, it seems as though there is little room left for climate change, the tragedy on the horizon. It is critical for America to commit to a moonshot, a Manhattan Project, as another of the great epochs of human intervention and innovation to address climate change. It is time to put aside the ultimately petty distractions and invest in a positive realignment of our resourceful ingenuity and intellectual capacity for the wellbeing of future generations. References

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