The Keeling Curve

The Keeling Curve is the result of 40 years of painstaking measurements of the rising Carbon levels in the atmosphere. It was made famous by Al Gore. But who was the person who tracked the measurements during all those years?

Charles Keeling
b. Apr. 20, 1928 Scranton, PA

Sun 1 Taurus; Moon Aries or Taurus; NN 11 Gemini

I suppose it's interesting that Keeling was an Oceanographer but became noted for his studies of Gases in the Atmosphere. He had no planets in Air in his chart, but his North Node was in Gemini which is an Air Sign. North Node shows your Destiny and lack of an element shows that you may be drawn to that element in some way in your life. Here's a description of Keeling's work from the book An Ocean of Air by Gabrielle Walker. As you can see by the title of the book, Walker seems to have read the problems that Keeling's chart propose in this respect. She also fobs off a pretty good description of a Taurus:

Keeling was inspired, technically brilliant, and also -- fortunately -- bull-headed. Fortunately, because he discovered that there was no funding available for long-term studies like the one he had in mind. There was nothing wrong with making a few measurements once in a while, he was told repeatedly by the U.S. science-funding agencies. But keeping highly expensive and very technical instruments ticking over constantly in Hawaii for years? There was simply no need.

Keeling, however, refused to hear the word "no." He wrangled and scraped and insisted, and he somehow managed to keep his instruments in place and switched on. It wasn't long before he was proved to be right. Even between one year and the next, he could see the difference in carbon dioxide levels. And it was exactly what you'd expect if the oceans were not, after all, soaking up those human outpourings.
Keeling made those measurements for more than forty years. When plotted out on a graph, his "Keeling curve" has become one of the most famous icons of the global warming debate. For as the years have passed, the carbon dioxide levels it shows look nothing like a flat line, or even a gentle rise. Instead, they rear up exponentially, like a malevolent tidal wave ready to crash.

-- from pages 82-83, Ch. 3 Food and Warmth

What a great book. I might actually have to read this one.

Keeling's Sun was in Taurus (he passed away recently so I speak of him in past tense) but his Moon may have been either in Aries or Taurus. In addition to that he had four planets in Aries (Uranus, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter) so he was bound "to do his own thing". Those particular planets ganging up together want to do genuinely good things for the World. Venus-Merucry-Jupiter are trining Saturn in Sagittarius and squaring Pluto in Cancer.

Keeling's Pisces Mars was a great placement for an oceanographer and it was also squaring his Nodal Axis. His destiny in the fight to fix Man-made problems. North Node in Gemini seems to be a great placement for Scientists who want to fix problems at any rate. Born with this 1928 placement are Jack Kevorkian (euthanasia guy) and Bill Mollison (creator of Permaculture). They've all worked against technology. Kind of an interesting situation that these Gemini North Node people have been living on the heels of the Gemini Pluto people who sort of created a lot of the technological messes (something which Bob Marks describes in a thread on his forum, check it out).

Keeling began to take measurements of CO2 over in Hawaii in 1958 and stopped in 2005.

In 1958, by coincidence, he was going through his Saturn Return in Sagittarius. Good time to take on a new project (Saturn) which will be the center of huge amounts of debate (Sagittarius) over the next 40 years. T. Pluto was also just past conjunction with Keeling's natal Neptune at 27 Leo. A person is extra sensitive to poisonings of any type during this transit. Neptune was at early degrees of Scorpio opposing Keeling's natal Sun-Chiron-possibly Moon conjunction which is like a triple or quadruple whammy effect for understanding toxicity, especially through empathy. T.Uranus would have hit Neptune in a couple of years after that, probably around the time that Keeling was realizing that he was on to something. According to Wikipedia his research was used in a Government warning about Global Warming back in 1963 but the fundings were stopped.

Also in 1958 the Nodal Axis was entering Libra which means that the South Node would be passing over Keeling's Aries planets. Neptune was in Scorpio but still conjunct the t.North Node which was moving into late Libra (Nodal Axis moves backwards) for a great deal of the year.

Keeling's measurements stopped in 2005. I suppose this coincides with his death of a heart attack on June 20, 2005. The Astrology is pretty incredible for this. T. Jupiter was once again in Libra and conjunct the South Node which relates back to the start of his 40 year project.

Not only was t. Pluto conjunct natal Saturn but t. Saturn had just been in conjunction with natal Pluto. That represents loss. (They're not in aspect with each other but they are both in major aspect to the following: Transiting Uranus was conjunct natal Mars (and squaring natal Nodal Axis) and transiting Mars was conjunct natal Uranus. Both aspects within a degree of conjunction. This shows a sudden, abrupt change of plans. Natal Mars is also trining natal Pluto at 16 Cancer (death) which was being hit by both Progressed Sun and Venus (15 Cancer for Sun, Venus ??). This squared his natal Aries planets and the transiting Nodal Axis. Transiting Venus and Mercury were also involved. Pluto does bring Fame and Keeling's Fame after his death has skyrocketed. And Venus, what was I saying about Venus throwing some curves?

An interesting little note about the Mercury Retrograde Progression. Keeling's Mercury went Rx sometime around1984-85 at 13 Cancer. This would have been conjunct his natal Pluto and squaring natal Mercury, etc. in Aries. He may have felt impotent to communicate his message. P.Mercury will come out of Retrograde in 2009-2010. The World will finally come around to paying attention to his word, especially with regards to transportation which is a Mercury ruled product.