1. "CLIMATE CHANGE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS! THE EARTH'S TEMPERATURE IS SUPPOSED TO CHANGE"
In its basic sense, the statement is true. The earth's climate has changed dramatically over the years, from sweltering hot weather to the ice ages. The Earth naturally goes through cycles of warming and cooling, but the difference is, these changes occurred over hundreds and thousands of years, whereas our climate has changed rapidly within the 100 years. The climate changes in recent years are entirely out of sync with previous climate cycles. The rapid changes indicate that the rising temperature and CO2 is a human-made issue, and not due to natural causes,
When people talk about climate change nowadays, they are referring to the human-made (anthropogenic) climate changes. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, use of oil and gas, and deforestation contribute towards the warming temperature. We are now at the highest global temperature since records began, and yet the temperature continues to rise, accelerating in the past 30 years. Natural forces alone cannot explain the quick rate that our temperature is currently increasing at. It is widely agreed upon by the global scientific community that our current temperature increase is human-made.
2. "A FEW DEGREES WARMER DOES NOT MATTER"
The last ice age happened 12,000 years ago, yet the average temperature of the world was only 4-5°C cooler than what it is today. It is those few degrees that make the biggest difference. Sea levels were approximately 100 meters lower than the current state, and many countries were under meters of ice.
Even a few degrees can have substantial effects on the environment, and the rapid temperature change we are experiencing now is much more significant than any previous events.
However, above that, what is important is that we know human activities cause the rising temperature. The temperature has increased just over 1°C in the last century, leaving visible real effects and impacts on our environment and climate to people everywhere.
To avoid further damage, we have to cut down on our greenhouse gas emissions.
3. "HOW IS IT GLOBAL WARMING IF IT IS SO COLD OUTSIDE"
How can there be record-breaking cold temperatures if the planet is warming? This is a common misconception that global warming means that winters will be warmer and less prevalent. However, that is not the case.
Weather and climate are different. The weather is the conditions of the atmosphere at a place and time, whereas climate is an average of the weather over decades.
In 2018 alone, there have been 20,000 record-breaking cold-temperature weather. On the other hand, 2018 also broke 40,000 records for high-temperature weather.
The events of freezing weather will never outweigh the fact that the Earth's is warming. In an overall global temperature, the Earth was, and still is warming.
4. "THINGS CAN ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE"
Darwin is not wrong; it is not a myth that animals can adapt. However, it is essential to understand that everything is affected by climate change, but only some things adapt. Plants and animals have two options to survive; they either adapt or move. Some species have been observed to have begun adapting to climate change already.
However, for plants and certain species, moving may not even be an option. They are restricted by their shrinking habitats that are being destroyed by roads and cities as well as physical constraints the species themselves may have. Additionally, with the speed of climate change, adapting quickly enough to their rapidly changing environment has become nearly impossible for many species of animals and plants. So if they cannot move or adapt in time, there is a high likelihood that they will end up dying.
5. "WARMER WEATHER IS NICER ANYWAYS"
Global warming means warmer winters and nicer summers right?
The truth is much more complex than that. Increase in greenhouse gas emissions causes the rise in global temperatures, affecting the ecosystem and weather patterns. This increases extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and storms.
Extreme weather events can be seen by the increased frequency of heatwaves in China recently and tropical storms that have hit many countries, such as the storm that hit the Philippines late last year, leaving at least 68 dead. Global warming does not mean nicer weather; it means more extreme, and unpredictable weather.
*Boomi News is the official blog of Boomi, a Shanghai-based startup that provides starter kits filled with sustainable products to help guide you towards a more zero-waste lifestyle.