In 1959, The Smithsonian Institution blamed 11° F. warming at Spitzsbergen on the burning of fossil fuels. They didn’t mention that most of that warming occurred before 1920 when CO2 levels were just above 300PPM.
“It has been suggested lately that the worldwide carbon-dioxide concentration is increasing, by the burning of chemical fuels in man’s engines, at such a rate that noticeable climatic changes, if not already upon us, are soon to be detected. This follows from the so-called “greenhouse effect.” Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide do not interfere with heat intake but inhibit infrared reradiation, thus conserving heat energy and producing a general warming up. Little America now has a mean temperature 5° F. warmer than when first occupied in 1912, while that of Spitsbergen has risen 11° F.”
Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution 1959
The Present Climatic Fluctuation on JSTOR
