Climate Myth Busting

The Guardian recently published a list of eight climate change falsehoods that require a dose of myth busting. In a culture given to hyperbole, superlative, and over simplification, this article provides a fresh perspective on some of the common misunderstandings that exist around climate change.

Among other myths, the article dispels the belief that the earth is warmer now than it ever has been in the past. It highlights that in fact, long, long ago during the Eocene, earth temperatures were an average of 10 degrees warmer than they are today. The article also tackles the myth that changes in the sun’s activity are behind the current warming trend. There is no correlation. It is also not true that we will all be worse off if temperatures keep rising. The effects of climate change will not be equally distributed around the globe and some parts of the world (including Canada) stand to gain from longer growing seasons and reduced winter weather-related fatalities. Importantly the article highlights the falsehood there is no scientific consensus on climate change. Scientific consensus exists. The climate is changing.

The article also addresses other misunderstandings, including the myth that humans face mass extinction if temperatures keep rising. We’re not all going to die if temperatures continue to rise (yay!) but the article isn’t giving us license to do nothing. The underlying message is to avoid oversimplification of complex science. Exploring and communicating ‘the facts,’ in their full nuance, will lend legitimacy to the variety of voices advocating for climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives.