How To Debunk Misconception About Climate Change – 13 Myth You Need to Know

Why is climate change so hard to tackle? 

I continuously have to ask myself this question when researching the topic and its various puzzling questions. 

Not only is climate change a highly debatable topic, but there are also people trying to spread lies about it every day to promote their skin in the game of greed and power. 

The climate crisis has become a hot topic over the past few years because scientists and researchers worldwide see the effects people are having on the planet. 

Here are 13 myths that are spread about climate change and how to debunk them:

MYTH #1: Earth’s Climate Is Always Changing. It’s Natural!

• In college, one of my professors taught me this, and I took it all as fact. I never went back to research it, which I regret now because I could have had my fantastic moment of refuting a professor’s backward beliefs, but I missed it.
• Now, I know better. 
• Yes, the climate has changed quite a bit over its history spanning 4.5 billion years. 
• The rapid warming we see now is unlike any temperature change in history, though. It cannot be explained by the natural cycles of warming and cooling like in the past. 
• Also, the warming that the Earth is experiencing has never happened so fast. The changes that would typically occur over hundreds of thousands of years are happening in merely decades. 

MYTH #2: Renewable Energy Is Just A Money-Making Scheme! 

• Renewable energy is known for having a high transition cost, but it is more cost-effective than people realize.
• Solar power and wind energy are both the cheapest ways of generating electricity. 
• Research and innovation are driving the cost of renewable energy products down faster than anyone could have predicted.

MYTH #3 If Climate Change Were Actually Real, It Wouldn’t Be Cold Outside!

• This argument is based on the fact that climate change will affect everywhere to the same degree. 
• Some regions, such as the Earth’s poles, will be affected by climate change more than other areas such as the equator.
• Even though there will be differences in the temperature changes across the Earth, everywhere will be affected to some degree.
• The focal problem of climate change is not the fact that the Earth will get hotter. The problem that climate change addresses are that it accounts for the far-reaching issues that the warming climate will have on our planet.

MYTH #4 There Is Nothing We Can Do About Climate Change!

• There are plenty of ways humans can prevent climate change. If you are too skeptical of fully committing to the idea that we can stop it, there is factual evidence that we can at least slow it down. 
• We simply need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to slow the effects of climate change.
• The process will not happen overnight, but we can make a difference over the next few decades. 

MYTH #5 Climate Change Is A Future Problem.

• There are no excuses to make for continuing to push the burden of climate change on future generations. If we continue to do this, there will be no future generations at all. It is up to us to make a difference here and now.
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a special report on the impacts of global warming. It stated that we only have twelve years to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5 Celsius to avoid climate breakdown.
• The IPCC report states we must act now. We do not have time to wait to do our part in fighting against climate change. 

MYTH #6 It’s Too Late To Make A Difference.

• Of all of the myths on this list, I think this is the most dangerous one spreading around. This is pure laziness.  
• There is time to step up and make changes in our governments and our personal lives to promote the Earth. 
• There can be change implemented if we make our voices heard and make the changes ourselves. 

MYTH #7 The Temperature Record Is Rigged Or Unreliable.

• If a scientist’s job were only to collect one source of evidence, then maybe you could use this argument. That is not their job, though. 
• There are numerous independent records produced by various bodies worldwide made with research about the temperature changes. 
• All of these records produce the same data and are remarkably consistent with each other.

MYTH #8 Climate Change Won’t Affect Me.

• A big misconception is that climate change will not personally affect the ordinary person. 
• They think it may affect the polar bears and those living in coastal towns, but it won’t hurt them because the Earth will only be warming up by just one degree Celsius. 
• The fact is that it will affect everybody because it is a threat multiplier. Climate change will affect everything from our local economies to our weather. 

MYTH #9 How Can Carbon Dioxide Be Responsible For Climate Change If Plants, Crops, And Trees Need It To Grow?!

• Yes, you are right. Plants, animals, and crops need carbon dioxide to grow, but they can only absorb a certain amount. 
• With deforestation increasing, the limit for the amount of carbon dioxide being absorbed is getting even lower. 
• The problem is not with the amount of carbon dioxide being absorbed, but the quantity at which we are pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

MYTH #10 Changes With The Sun Are Causing Climate Change, Not Humans! 

• Understandably, people would believe this myth because the Sun influences the Earth’s climate, but it is not that simple.
• The global warming we have experienced over the past few decades is far too significant to be caused by solar activity. 
• According to NASA’s Climate blog, “satellites have observed the Sun’s energy output for over forty years. It has gone up or down by less than 0.1 percent during this period, yet global warming is increasing rapidly.”
• The Sun is not the cause of the Earth’s warming. Instead, humans are burning fossil fuels that are causing the Earth to warm at an interval fifty times greater than the Sun’s ever-so-slight warming.

MYTH #11 There is No Scientific Consensus On The Existence Or Causes Of Global Climate Change.

• According to NASA, “Multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals show that 97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree: Climate warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities.”
• Most of the leading scientific organizations worldwide have issued public statements endorsing the position. 
• It’s pretty baffling this myth is still believed when multiple leading scientific organizations worldwide have issued public statements endorsing the position. 

MYTH #12 Plants And Animals Will Adapt

• It is incredible how adaptable plants and animals can be when faced with adverse conditions such as changing weather. 
• The problem is that there are already plenty of stressors on plants and animals, such as pollution and habitat loss, that adding climate change on top of it all may push their adaptability to the edge. 
• The extinction rate of animals as of now is much higher than the natural extinction traits of animals and plants due to the reasons mentioned already. 

MYTH #13 Global Warming Will Destroy The Planet By 2030!

• This is what I would call alarmist to the worst degree. Yes, we do need to get the number of carbon emissions we let off under control, but it does not mean the world will automatically end in 2030. 
• The Earth will be warmer than we would like it to be if we do not make drastic changes by 2030.
• Now, our way of life and the things that we all depend on day-to-day will be affected. According to scientific data, it will not be a habitable world to live in if we continue to live the same way we always have by 2030, but the Earth will not combust. 

Conclusion 

The scientists are dedicating their lives to researching climate change and what is causing it agree: humans are the primary cause for Earth’s warming. 

We have debunked thirteen myths that people worldwide cling to as their argument against climate change goes out and debate. 

Raise awareness about why climate change is real. Take a stand against the lies and myths that people are spreading. 

Add this to your list of ways to combat climate change.