© Shutterstock

Myth: climate change isn't real -

As the Earth’s average surface temperature increases, extreme weather events are getting more likely and more severe.

© Shutterstock

Myth: climate change isn't real -

And as much as we might wish it away, climate change is here to stay until we do something meaningful about it.

© Shutterstock

Myth: Earth's climate has always changed -

It's true that over the course of the Earth's 4.5-billion-year history the climate has changed a lot. However, the changes that would normally occur over millions of years are now happening at a much more rapid rate over decades.

© Shutterstock

Myth: Earth's climate has always changed -

This fast warming corresponds with levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which have been increasing since the Industrial Revolution. So, when people talk about climate change today, they mean anthropogenic (man-made) climate change.

© Shutterstock

Myth: we can simply adapt to climate change -

While it is true that the Earth's species can adapt to extreme change, it’s unfortunately not a rapid evolution.

© Shutterstock

Myth: we can simply adapt to climate change -

The sad reality is that instead of species adapting to the changing environment, we're witnessing one of the largest mass extinctions in all of history.

© Shutterstock

Myth: climate change is just a money-making conspiracy -

Many climate change deniers will unfortunately hold on to this myth. In 2018, shortly after the second part of the National Climate Assessment came out, Rick Santorum, a former Republican Senator, claimed that climate scientists "are driven by the money that they receive."

© Shutterstock

Myth: climate change is just a money-making conspiracy -

For this conspiracy to be true, it would require tens of thousands of scientists across the globe to be paid off, which isn't realistic at all.

© Shutterstock

Myth: renewable energy is weather-dependent and less reliable than fossil fuels -

Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind farms, are commonly claimed by climate change deniers to be unreliable and an unreal alternative to fossil fuels.

© Shutterstock

Myth: renewable energy is weather-dependent and less reliable than fossil fuels -

While it is true that on a windless day wind farms produce no power, this isn’t how a wind farm optimally functions. The same is true of a solar farm on a cloudy day. There are various technologies that can harness this energy and store it, so that it can be used during less optimal weather conditions.

© Shutterstock

Myth: it's still cold, so climate change must be a hoax -

As scientifically inaccurate as this claim is, unfortunately, it's a common argument from climate change deniers.

© Shutterstock

Myth: it's still cold, so climate change must be a hoax -

As previously mentioned, climate change affects weather in a wide variety of ways. This means harsher weather in general, which can actually make it colder than usual.

© Shutterstock

Myth: building wind turbines uses more energy than it can produce -

Another myth is that it takes more energy to build renewable sources, such as wind turbines, than they can produce in their operable lifetimes.

© Shutterstock

Myth: building wind turbines uses more energy than it can produce -

However, multiple studies show it only takes an average of six months for a wind turbine to "pay back" the amount of energy used to build it.

© Shutterstock

Myth: scientists disagree on the cause of climate change -

Contrary to popular belief, most scientists don't disagree that climate change is happening and that it's caused by humans.

© Shutterstock

Myth: scientists disagree on the cause of climate change -

In fact, various analyses over many years have shown that between 90% and 100% of publishing climate scientists agree that humans are the main cause of global warming.

© Shutterstock

Myth: climate change is a future problem -

Back in the '70s, when climate change gained scientific relevance, it was theorized its effects wouldn't impact us much until a few centuries had passed. However, today, we're already seeing the devastating effects of climate change.

© Shutterstock

Myth: climate change is a future problem -

From rising sea levels to rising temperatures, man-made climate change is the biggest environmental crisis of our time. And it's already a threat to us now.

© Shutterstock

Myth: plants consume carbon dioxide, so they'll solve the problem for us -

While it's true that plants do need carbon dioxide (CO2) to live, the problem is there's only so much carbon dioxide they can absorb, and this amount is getting less. They need CO2 to go through the process of photosynthesis, which creates the energy required for them to grow.

© Shutterstock

Myth: plants consume carbon dioxide, so they'll solve the problem for us -

As we cut down more trees and clear away plants for agricultural purposes, we decrease the amount of CO2 that can be absorbed. This directly exacerbates climate change and carries some serious consequences.

© Shutterstock

Myth: it's solar changes that are causing the Earth to warm, not us -

The Sun gives life to our planet, and keeps it warm enough for us all to survive. It also influences Earth’s climate, but not as much as some would imagine.

© Shutterstock

Myth: it's solar changes that are causing the Earth to warm, not us -

The reality is that the global warming we've seen over the last few decades is too rapid and drastic to be linked to changes in the Earth's orbit, and too large to be caused by solar activity.

© Shutterstock

Myth: China is the only country responsible for climate change -

While it's true that China is one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, they're also one of the largest investors in renewable energy. The increase in investment is in response to the growth of green business and the need to clean up air pollution.

© Shutterstock

Myth: China is the only country responsible for climate change -

In the end, climate change is a global issue, and we all have a responsibility to step up to the climate crisis.

© Shutterstock

Myth: the temperature record is rigged or unreliable -

This is a common talking point among climate change skeptics, which could be plausible if science relied on just one or two records.

© Shutterstock

Myth: the temperature record is rigged or unreliable -

However, there are many different temperature records produced by various independent bodies worldwide, and their data is actually consistent with each other.

© Shutterstock

Myth: climate change won't affect me -

This is one of the biggest misconceptions among climate change skeptics. Many believe that it might affect other parts of the world and that animals will be affected, yet they'll stay safe for many years to come.

© Shutterstock

Myth: climate change won't affect me -

Unfortunately for them, that's not the case at all. With global temperatures rising, the weather will become fiercer, and we're already witnessing this in all corners of the world.

© Shutterstock

Myth: climate change can't be stopped; it's too late -

While it's clear that we're running out of time, there's still a limited window of opportunity to implement policies and take action this decade to ensure we avoid the worst effects of climate change.

© Shutterstock

Myth: climate change can't be stopped; it's too late -

It's still possible for the world to reach net-zero (cutting greenhouse gas emissions) and to limit warming to 34.7°F (1.5°C), but much more action is needed this decade, especially from governments and businesses.

Sources: (CBS News) (Forbes) (World Wide Fund for Nature)

See also: The dire consequences of climate change on everyday life

© Shutterstock