Global Warming: The Decade We Lost Earth

This is a follow-up video to Global Warming: An Inconvenient History, going into much more detail of events from 1979 to 1989. In particular this is the story of the "villain" of climate change, a man you've likely never heard of before. But is that a fair description? You be the judge.

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Some stock footage courtesy of Getty.
Directed and edited by Luke Negus.

This video essay in the style of Jon Bois and BobbyBroccoli is about the history of climate change, and how John Sununu is the villain of the story, preventing a binding agreement on carbon emissions at the Noordwijk conference of 1989. Who is to blame for climate change? Who caused global warming? Why was John Sununu so important? These questions and more are answered in this video about the history of science and global warming.

Huge thanks to my supporters on Patreon:
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[SimonClark]

If you enjoyed the video, please do give it a like and share it with people who you think will also enjoy it! This is a story I think everyone should hear.

If you would like to support my work then you can do so by:

[mathijsfrank]

I've always thought that the fixing of the ozone hole problem was one of the few (if not only) moments in history where governments came together to fix a problem for the better of society in stead of purely helping the people in charge. Hearing that it basically only happened because du pont saw an opportunity for profit makes a lot more sense and makes me very sad....

[jeanlapoint]

I live in Massachusetts. I remember when Sununu was Governor of New Hampshire and Massachusetts was complaining about the pollution coming down the Merrimack River from the industrial cities of Concord, Manchester and Nashua. Sununu said: “pollution is just a byproduct of progress”.
This is what I think of when I hear his name.

[jamescook]

If the tobacco industry could be fined hundreds of millions for deliberately hiding the deadliness of tobacco, how much is the price for knowing you are creating a climatic apocalypse and funding "research" to say you're not for fifty years?

[Clone]

"Your government is f*cking this up" should go down in history as a quote that perfectly sums up how the US handled this

[scaevolaludens]

"If you demand a villain your man..."
"RONALD REAGAN!"
"...is John Sununu"
"oh."

[liadeindadani]

The fact that I could've grown up in a world that was already fighting climate change instead of a world where we're barely starting is crazy

Edit: I don't want people to read this message and get all hopeless, idk exactly how to word it, but just because we're starting now, doesn't mean we shouldn't start. There is still time to make a change and we should keep fighting to make a change. It sucks that the stupid fuel industry has really given us a setback, but that's only more of a reason to fight back. We can't let those assholes win.

[idraote]

One of the many sad outcomes is that these people, who deliberately lied to citizens causing enormous damage, will never pay for their crimes. There should be a wall of shame with these people quoted as the criminals they were/are.

[chinookvalley]

In the 50's my dad owned an oil drilling company, making million$. He quit and started taking our family around the US to show us the destructions of man: drilling, clear cutting, soil pollution. He tried in vain to tell people in the petro industry that we had to change our ways or all would be lost. They didn't care, or change. Thanks for trying Dad.

[tordkarl]

“People of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage.”
— John Kenneth Galbraith

[forestknowledge]

Politician really said that our crops and products are only 3% from outdoors and won’t be affected by climate is absolutely crazy man

[FlesHBoX]

If anything, I think this shows that the real "villain" in this story is Nirenberg. Sununu did what he did out of ignorance. However Nirenberg, like you said, knew what he was doing. If anything, Sununu was merely an ignorant pawn manipulated and set in motion by a man who wanted this to happen for whatever reason.

[kennygreening]

Hi Simon, I am a meteorologist and really enjoy your videos. You do a phenomenal job at explaining the science of our atmosphere! I must say, I bought your book and would definitely recommend it for those who want to learn about the history of atmospheric science and the basics of how our atmosphere works.

[NotSoMax]

This kinda hurts to watch, seeing how far back we knew it was a problem all laid out in this way is kinda heartbreaking especially when viewed today, when it’s now a very partisan issue. It’s so frustrating that if just a few things had gone slightly differently we could be living in a much better world today

[conhill]

Simon, I teach climate change in universities. I also tell my students about what Reagon, Nirenberg, George C Marshall had done to fool people, but not in a way as compelling as you did. I am sure my students will enjoy watching this YouTube video. Thanks so much for the great efforts. Bravo!

[orion]

Oppenheimer: "I am become death, destroy of worlds"

William Nierenberg: "Hold my beer"

[PeidosFTW]

it always comes down to reaganomics, amazing, this man only missed

[mina_en_suiza]

I had the book "Global 2000 - The report for the President", when I was young. The predictions for climate change were pretty accurate. Jimmy Carter was a far better US president (and person) than people gave him credit for.
As with so many things: "Then came Reagan, and things turned far worse"

[cameronmclennan]

So painful to watch the calamity playing out, but so thankful for your time, effort and skill to tell this important story, Simon. Thank you

[carstenweiland]

Seen a documentary from 1973 that pleaded for wind and solar energy because of sustainability and global warming, we really lost about 1/2 a century.