Jaia graduated from Cornell University with a BA in the College Scholar Program where she... Jaia graduated from Cornell University with a BA in the College Scholar Program where she researched plant-based and cell-based meat. She is passionate about writing and reading news, whether related to food, politics, or the environment, and she loves experimenting with new plant-based products and recipes.Read more about Jaia Clingham-David Read More
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Climate change has been rigorously studied, andthe scientific consensus is strikingly clear. The fact that humans have drivenClimate change is well-documented andwidely agreed upon. Yet misinformation or misleading claims aboutClimate change still continue.
Here are 10 commonClimate change myths and how to debunk them:
During Earth’s 4.5-billion-year history, the climate has continuously changed with gradual increases and decreases in temperature. But the current rapid warming is unprecedented and is not part of a natural cycle of warming and cooling.
Most models predict that Earth will warm between 2 and 6 degrees Celsius in the next century, which is20 times faster than previous warming cycles.
And no, it’s not just the sun — the sun is actually at its lowest energy output in hundreds of yearsaccording to NASA. Since 1750, the warming driven by humans burning of fossil fuels is over 50 times greater than any warming effect from the sun itself over that same time interval.
“Our best estimate is that 100 percent of the warming the world has experienced is due to human activities. Natural factors — changes in solar output and volcanoes — would have led to slight cooling over the past 50 years,”said climate scientist and data analyst Dr. Zeke Hausfather.
For years, politicians have talked about how cold temperatures prove thatClimate change isn’t happening. While President, Trumprepeatedly tweeted using winter weather events as (false) evidence thatGlobal warming isn’t happening.
However, one week of cold weather has nothing to do with the long-term trend of increasing global temperatures across the Earth’s surface.
AsTime Magazine outlined, Trump and otherClimate change deniers fail to understand the difference between weather and climate.
Weather refers to the day-to-day atmospheric conditions in a particular place. Climate refers to long-term atmospheric patterns.
Climate change includes global warming – the broad temperature increases across the Earth’s surface – as well as other climate phenomenon resulting from excessive greenhouse gas emissions.Worsening snowstorms have even been linked toClimate change.
In fact, in its first seven months, 2020 was already named the second-warmest year on the booksaccording to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration whose records go back 141 years.
Small fluctuations in the Earth’s temperature can lead to large climatic changes. Shifts in regional precipitation, increases in extreme climate disasters, ocean acidification, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels arethe result of just a few degrees of warming.
And we have already seen these impacts of rising temperatures, including moreextreme weather disasters andice melting in the Arctic.
According tothe Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a 2 degrees Celsius increase would make land two to three times warmer than the global average and cause the Arctic to be four times warmer at 8 degrees Celsius.
Increases of 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius may cause 10 million more people to be at risk from rising sea levels, several hundred million more people to fall into poverty, and a 50-percent increase in the population facing water stress,the EDF reported.
For most animals and plants,Climate change isoccurring too quickly for them to adapt to the changing environment. They are losing food and water sources and shelter as temperatures rise and extreme climate disasters wreaked havoc on their habitats. And they have already lost significant amounts of habitat fromdeforestation and humans building roads, highways, and infrastructure on natural lands.
Animal populations have alreadydeclined nearly 70 percent due to human activity over the last 50 years. Human behavior has also put40 percent of the world’s plant species at risk of extinction.
Although carbon dioxide (CO2) only makes up a small fraction of the atmosphere, it can still have asignificant impact on the Earth’s temperatures.
According toNASA, CO2 accounts for about 20 percent of the greenhouse effect where greenhouse gases trap infrared radiation which warms the Earth’s surface.
While CO2 can move between land plants and the ocean, as much as 20 percent may remain in the atmosphere for many thousands of years. Excess carbon in the atmosphere will increase Earth’s temperature while excess carbon in the ocean makes the watersmore acidic, threatening marine life.
Even before Donald Trump was president, he oftentweeted thatClimate change was a Chinese hoax. During his time in office, President Trumpcontinued the rhetoric that China is to blame for the changing climate.Trump’s climate denial is no surprise and his comments have popularized the myth that China causedClimate change.
As Trump pulled the U.S. away from being a global climate action leader, China has stepped up. The country haspledged to be carbon neutral by 2060 and become the largestinvestor,producer, andconsumer of renewable energy in the world.
While all countries have contributed to the global issue ofClimate change, its’ time for countries with more economic capital to be true leaders in the fight againstClimate change rather than pointing fingers at other nations.
A2019 study evaluated 17 climate model projections published between 1970 and 2007, with forecasts ending on or before 2017. It found 14 of the 17 model projections were consistent with observed real-world surface temperatures, even when factoring in the actual rise in greenhouse gas emissions.
Overall, models are able to accurately depict mainly general trends, such as warming global temperatures, increased overall rainfall, or more intense hurricanes.
The effects ofClimate change are already here:global food insecurity,climate refugees, and more frequentinfectious disease outbreaks. And these phenomena are occurring in both developing and developed nations.
Just in recent months, the U.S. has been wrecked bystronger hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, and other climate-related disasters. Surveys find that around three-quarters of Americans have seen the effects ofClimate change firsthand.
The idea of a carbon footprint is a great way to measure greenhouse gas contributions from certain activities. But the fossil fuel industry has used the concept of individual carbon footprints toblame the climate crisis on day-to-day personal choices.
Whileavoiding air travel orswitching to plant-based diets can significantly reduce emissions, and are meaningful when done in the long term, the onus of climate action falls on large companies that mercilessly pollute the environment but point the finger at the powerless individual for using a plastic straw.
Just 100 companies are responsible for 71 percent of global emissions,The Guardian reported. Mass climate action on the micro-level can help, but the heavy lifting must come from systemic changes in the fossil fuel industry.
Unfortunately,Climate change is already here – rising sea levels, irreversible habitat loss, species extinction, and many other catastrophic effects that have already happened and are currently happening.
However,actions taken now can stop things from getting much worse during this century and in future generations.
Luckily, climate andenergy experts have outlined what needs to be done by focusing on scaling up the proven solutions, in the biggest emitting countries, through effective policy measures. Scientists knowwhat needs to happen, including 100 percent clean electricity; more energy-efficient vehicles, buildings, and factories; and stronger controls ofGlobal warming super-pollutants.
Companies must be held accountable for theiremissions targets or climate pledges. And individuals must commit to long-term, meaningful changes to help the environment. Individuals can do a lot when they join together to hold companies and countries accountable and push forclimate policies on all levels of governance.
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