Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

News Clipping From 1912 That Perfectly Describes Climate Change Just Re-Emerged Online

News Clipping From 1912 That Perfectly Describes Climate Change Just Re-Emerged Online
u/suspect309/Reddit // Vitalij Cerepok / EyeEm

They were way ahead of the curve.

Many like to pretend that the climate crisis is a recent discovery. Some still refuse to acknowledge that it's even real.

But a newspaper clipping from 1912 is beginning to recirculate for its chillingly on point prediction of what we know today as global warming. Feautured in the August 14, 1912 issue of The Rodney & Otamatea Times, the headline reads: Coal Consumption Affecting Climate.


Take a look below:

u/suspect309

The article goes on to say:

"The furnaces of the world are now burning through about 2,000,000,000 tons of coal a year. When this is burned, uniting with oxygen, it ads about 7,000,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere yearly. This tends to make the air a more effective blanket for the earth and to raise its temperature. The effect may be considerable in a few centuries."

Possibly more chilling than the earliness of the article is the way it underestimated how soon humans would feel the effects. While this article estimated considerable effects in a few centuries, Earth is already experiencing unprecedented heat. Last month was the highest global temperature ever recorded.

People were quick to point out the growing urgency of the climate crisis.

For the United States, prospects on the climate crisis are looking grim. President Donald Trump soon pulled out of the legendary Paris Climate Accord after his inauguration and, most recently, proposed greatly weakening the Endangered Species Act.

We can only hope that it won't be another 107 years before humans realize our own damage because, frankly, we don't have that long.

More from News

Country Singer Gavin Adcock went on a drunken rant over Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" success.
Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Country singer rants over Beyoncé album

Country singer Gavin Adcock became the title of his next album, “Own Worst Enemy,” after going on an unhinged rant about the legitimacy of Beyoncé's Grammy-winning and record-breaking Cowboy Carter in the country music genre.

Adcock, whose upcoming album is set for release next month, was filmed during a live performance last weekend, complaining that Beyoncé and her album are not “country music.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Dionne Warwick; Tiny Chef
Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images; @ToonHive/X

Dionne Warwick Is Ready To Go To War With Nickelodeon Over 'Tiny Chef' Cancellation

You know your campaign against a show's cancellation is achieving widespread attention when you get people like venerated singer Dionne Warwick advocating for you.

Nickelodeon's The Tiny Chef Show was recently cancelled, much to the dismay of its viewers and creators. It was also a genuinely surprising decision, since the show has won an Emmy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman relaxing in sunhat and sunglasses
Photo by Jordan Bauer on Unsplash

People Explain Which 'Small Luxuries' They Can't Live Without

Many of us have committed to being fairly financially frugal and not overspending on silly, unnecessary things.

That is to say, sometimes, it's fun to splurge on something one time to see what it's like to experience that small luxury.

Keep ReadingShow less
two women in emotional distress seated on couch
Ben White on Unsplash

People Who've Experienced Grief Share The Most Tone-Deaf Things They've Heard

Grief, loss, trauma are all part of life. But for most people, the emotions and reactions that go with them are difficult to witness.

So they rely on platitudes to fill any holes in conversation. That's rarely a good idea.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less