Climate Change-1912
In March 1912, Popular Mechanics published a report titled “Remarkable Weather of 1911: The Effect of the Combustion of Coal on the Climate – What Scientists Predict for the Future.” This report, later discussed in the Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette in New Zealand, introduced a concept that was still emerging at the time: climate change. It linked coal burning to the release of greenhouse gases and predicted that these emissions would warm the atmosphere.
“The effect may be considerable in a few centuries.”
Now, more than 110 years later, the warnings outlined in that report have become undeniable. We are deeply entrenched in climate crises, grappling with the very issues scientists predicted. Yet, many still refuse to believe it. Moreover, the current president of the United States, Donald Trump, has consistently downplayed the significance of climate change and rolled back climate policies on the first day of his second term. He has also withdrawn support for research that mentions the term "climate," further hindering efforts to address the ongoing crisis. This is in stark contrast to recent predecessors like President Obama and President Biden, who were far more proactive in addressing climate change.
