There’s a lot at stake with global warming
Our planet’s climate is anything but simple. All kinds of factors influence it, from massive events on the Sun to the growth of microscopic creatures in the oceans, and there are subtle interactions between many of these factors.
Yet despite all the complexities, a firm and ever-growing body of evidence points to a clear picture: the world is warming, this warming is due to human activity increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and if emissions continue unabated the warming will too, with increasingly serious consequences.
Yes, there are still big uncertainties in some predictions, but these swing both ways. For example, the response of clouds could slow the warming or speed it up.
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With so much at stake, it is right that climate science is subjected to the most intense scrutiny. What does not help is for the real issues to be muddied by discredited arguments or wild theories.
So for those who are not sure what to believe, here is our round-up of the most common climate myths and misconceptions.
There is a guide to assessing the evidence, and the articles we’ve included contain lots of links to primary research and major reports for those who want to follow through to the original sources.
What is happening now?
New: Any cooling disproves global warming
Global warming stopped in 1998
Antarctica is getting cooler, not warmer, disproving global warming
Polar bear numbers are increasing
The lower atmosphere is cooling, not warming
Mars and Pluto are warming too
Does CO2 cause warming?
Human CO2 emissions are too tiny to matter
CO2 isn’t the most important greenhouse gas
Ice cores show CO2 increases lag behind temperature rises, disproving the link to global warming
Ice cores show CO2 rising as temperatures fell
The cooling after 1940 shows CO2 does not cause warming
Why should I worry?
It’s too cold where I live – warming will be great
We can’t do anything about climate change
Is the sun to blame?
Global warming is down to the Sun, not humans
What happened in the past?
The ‘hockey stick’ graph has been proven wrong
It’s been far warmer in the past, what’s the big deal?
It was warmer during the Medieval period, with vineyards in England
We are simply recovering from the Little Ice Age
What is going to happen?
Warming will cause an ice age in Europe
Higher CO2 levels will boost plant growth and food production
Hurricane Katrina was caused by global warming
Can we trust the science?
Chaotic systems are not predictable
We can’t trust computer models of climate
Many leading scientists question climate change
New: The leaked emails prove it’s a conspiracy
They predicted global cooling in the 1970s
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