The world is warming at an unprecedented pace, with nearly every continent experiencing record-breaking heat. April, the latest month for which statistics are available, marked the 11th consecutive month of global temperature highs. Experts assert this is a clear sign of rapid climate change. However, many still believe—or claim to believe—that climate change is not real, relying on several well-worn myths to support their stance.
“Most of the world rightly acknowledges that climate change is real,” says Dechen Tsering, Acting Director of the Climate Change Division at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “But in many places, misinformation is delaying the action that is so vital to countering one of the greatest challenges facing humanity.”
Ahead of a crucial climate conference in Bonn, Germany, here is a closer look at eight common climate-related myths and why they are simply not true:
Myth #1: Climate change has always happened, so we should not worry about it.
While it’s true that the Earth’s temperature has fluctuated over time, the current rate of warming is unprecedented. Since the last ice age 10,000 years ago, the climate has been relatively stable, which has been crucial for human civilization’s development. Today, the Earth is heating up at its fastest rate in at least 2,000 years, with the last decade being the warmest on record. Other climate indicators, such as ocean temperatures, sea levels, and greenhouse gas concentrations, are also rising at alarming rates.
Myth #2: Climate change is a natural process. It has nothing to do with people.
Human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, is accelerating climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that humans are responsible for almost all global warming over the past 200 years. Greenhouse gas levels, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, are at their highest in millions of years, largely due to human activities.
Myth #3: A couple of degrees of warming is not that big of a deal.
Even small temperature increases can disrupt ecosystems and have severe consequences for humans and other species. The Paris Agreement aims to limit global temperature rise to “well below” 2°C, ideally to 1.5°C, to avoid catastrophic impacts. Even a half-degree difference could expose billions more people to extreme heat, drastically reduce crop yields, and cause widespread loss of biodiversity, including the near-total death of coral reefs.
Myth #4: An increase in cold snaps shows climate change is not real.
Weather and climate are different; weather is short-term atmospheric conditions, while climate is long-term trends. Cold snaps can still occur in a warming world. In fact, climate change can lead to more intense and longer-lasting cold spells due to disruptions in atmospheric patterns, such as the polar vortex.
Myth #5: Scientists disagree on the cause of climate change.
The scientific consensus is overwhelming: 99% of peer-reviewed studies agree that climate change is human-induced. This near-universal agreement among scientists dispels the myth of significant disagreement within the scientific community.
Myth #6: It is too late to avert a climate catastrophe, so we might as well keep burning fossil fuels.
There is still a narrow window to avoid the worst effects of climate change. The UNEP’s latest Emissions Gap Report states that cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2030 could limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C. Achieving this requires immediate action and substantial investment in low-carbon technologies and sustainable practices.
Myth #7: Climate models are unreliable.
Climate models have been refined over decades and consistently provide accurate projections of global warming. A study by the University of California found that most climate models generated between 1970 and 2007 closely matched observed temperature changes, proving their reliability.
Myth #8: We do not need to worry about lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Humanity is inventive; we can just adapt to climate change.
While some adaptation is possible, the costs are enormous, especially for developing countries. The UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report estimates that developing nations need between $215 billion and $387 billion annually to adapt, but they currently receive only a fraction of that amount. Even wealthier countries will face significant challenges, and without reducing emissions, the limits of adaptation will be reached more quickly, leading to irreversible damage.