The following topics are included in this timeline:

• the assumed threat of climate change due to CO2 emissions
• dates of international meetings regarding climate change
  
• propaganda/marketing by Al Gore
• role of scientists in influencing public policy
• increasing criticism that current assumptions are valid
• questions about a carbon tax (or carbon market)
• reports about subsidizing green projects
• U.S. Congress and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) activity
  

1992    An international environmental treaty (the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) was produced at the UN Conference on Environment and Development at Earth Summit, Rio deJaneiro June 1992. The objective of the treaty was to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. (Source: Wikipedia)

1995 IPCC 2nd assessment report
Among the conclusions: GHG continue to increase, the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate, there are many uncertainties (Source: Wikipedia)

Dec 1997 – Kyoto Protocol adopted in Kyoto, Japan. A market-based mechanism established (emissions trading, known as “the carbon market”). (Source: Wikipedia)

Mar 2001 – US withdraws from Kyoto protocol    (Source: Greenpeace USA)

2001 – IPCC 3rd Assessment Report. Among the conclusions: There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities. (Source: Wikipedia). The “Hockey Stick” graph (created by Michael Mann et al) was featured prominently in the 2001 IPCC Report as supporting the mainstream view of climate scientists that there had been a relatively sharp rise in temperatures during the second half of the 20th century.

Beginning in 2005, European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is the largest multi-national, emissions trading scheme in the world. Under the EU ETS, large emitters of carbon dioxide within the EU must monitor and annually report their CO2  emissions, and they are obliged every year to return an amount of emission allowances to the government that is equivalent to their CO2 emissions in that year.   (Source: Wikipedia)

2006  An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It by Al Gore released in conjunction with the film An Inconvenient Truth (a documentary film released May 2006). This documentary film has been included in science curricula in schools around the world.

2007   IPCC 4th Assessment Report. Among the conclusions: Warming of climate system is unequivocal. Most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations., due to increase in human GHG. (Source: Wikipedia)

Oct 2007 – British Government’s decision to show the film “Inconvenient Truth” in secondary schools comes under attack, Government accused of brainwashing children. British Court rules “Inconvenient Truth” movie politically partisan and not an impartial analysis of the science of climate change (at least 9 significant errors). (Source: The Times, UK)

The Science and Public Policy Institute documents 35 scientific errors and exaggerations in Al Gore’s movie. (Source: Science and Public Policy Institute website)

Dec 2007 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the IPCC and former Vice President of the United States Al Gore for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change.

Dec 2007 – Letter from 100 scientists to UN Secretary-General. Quote from the letter “attempts to prevent global climate change from occurring are ultimately futile, and constitute a tragic mis-allocation of resources that would be better spent on humanity’s real and pressing problems” (Source: US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works website)

2008    Barrack Obama elected President (Nov 2008) – During campaign (April 2008) Obama says he supports cap-and-trade system.

March 2009 US Senate Minority Report Published. More than 700 International Scientists dissent over man-made global warming claims,  scientists continue to debunk “consensus. (Source: U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works)

July 2009 – Waxman/Markey Energy Bill passes U.S. House of Representatives (HR2454) To create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming pollution and transition to a clean energy economy.

Nov 2009 – Hackers find email (Climategate)

Dec 2009 – IPCC Meeting in Copenhagen;  President Obama attends meeting in Copenhagen, No consensus reached/No agreement signed, Note Kyoto expires in 2012.  (Source: Environmental Leader article Nov 2009)

On December 7, 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator signed two distinct findings regarding greenhouse gases under section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act:

• Endangerment Finding: The Administrator finds that the current and projected concentrations of the six key well-mixed greenhouse gases — carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) — in the atmosphere threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations.
• Cause or Contribute Finding: The Administrator finds that the combined emissions of these well-mixed greenhouse gases from new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines contribute to the greenhouse gas pollution which threatens public health and welfare.
  (Source: EPA Website)

May 2010 4th Annual International Conference on Climate Change in Chicago sponsored by Heartland Institute. Quote from Lord Monckton “When we waste time, money and effort on a non-problem, then real environmental problems will not get attended to.” (Source: Heartland.org)

2010 – In spite of several efforts to pass an Energy/Climate/Cap&Trade Bill in the U.S. Senate, no U.S. Senate Energy Bill has been passed

2010 “Countries are realizing that renewable energy is a massive waste of tax payer funds and has zero or negligible effect on CO2 emissions. They are thus cutting or eliminating subsidies to the grossly inefficient green power generators.”
(Source: CarbonSense.com)

• January 2010 France slashing solar subsidies
• July 2010 Spain cuts subsidies for renewable energy associations
• July 2010 Italy decision to relieve GSE role in green-certificate market
• July 2010 Germany cuts in tariff incentives for installation of solar panels

December 2010 – IPCC Meeting in Cancum, Mexico – no extension to Kyoto, no new treaty. Countries that signed the Kyoto Protocol are not obligated by it after 2012.  A “Green Climate Fund: proposed to assist poorer countries in financing emission reductions and adaption.  There was no agreement on how to extend the Kyoto Protocol, or how the $100 billion a year for the Green Climate Fund will be raised, or whether developing countries should have binding emissions reductions or whether rich countries would have to reduce emissions first. (Source: Wikipedia)

May 2011 – Various challenges to the EPA position that GHGs endanger the public health and welfare are in progress in the courts. At least 15 states have sued the Environmental Protection Agency seeking to stop the EPA from issuing rules controlling greenhouse gas emissions.

June 2011 – The Sixth International Conference on Climate Change sponsored by The Heartland Institute will be held in Washington, DC on June 30 to July 1.

For Reference

IPCC – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a scientific intergovernmental body tasked with evaluating the risk of climate change caused by human activity. The panel was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), two organizations of the United Nations. (Source: Wikipedia)

EPA – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, click here for history of this agency.

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