In the year 1863 Eunice Newton Foote—an American woman who carried out scientific research in an age when this was most unusual—was the first person in history to carry out a laboratory experiment predicting global warming. Even though she warned the world as to the danger of burning fossil fuels and even though her findings were internationally published Eunice Newton Foote was totally ignored in her lifetime.
Her warnings about polluting the atmosphere and resultant climate change were only rediscovered in 2011, however today many scientists recognize her as “the Mother of Global Warming.” In our school play titled I Eunice Newton Foote Bring Bad News our grade three students pay homage to an amazing woman who is a role model for everyone.
Our grade three students have also acted out Eunice Newton Foote’s original experiment showing that air polluted with carbon dioxide retains more heat than it would otherwise. Our experiment which we filmed resulted in a three-degree difference. Scientists predict that an increase on only 1.5 degrees is undesirable.