8 Shocking Climate Change Denier Myths that MUST be Debunked

The problem of Climate Change entails certain misinterpretations that it is important to clarify, here we expose some of the most frequent myths about Climate Change:

1.- "The hole in the ozone layer is the cause of climate change". Although both problems are related to the atmosphere, climate change is not caused by the hole in the ozone layer. The cause of climate change is the greenhouse effect caused by the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) in human activities (electricity, heating, air conditioning, transport, packaging manufacture, etc.).

2.- "Climate change does not exist". A coordinated group of 2000 scientists from around the world (called the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC) has been researching for more than 25 years, and says that climate change is a fact and that we must take action to stop it. People who deny the existence of climate change either do not have the necessary knowledge or have interests to deny its existence.

3.- "We cannot stop climate change". Climate change is a global environmental problem, the most important one facing humanity. But just because it is such a big problem does not mean that nothing can be done. In fact, we in our daily lives have the opportunity to avoid the emission of tons of CO2 and thus contribute to solving the problem. To do this it is essential to change our habits, as recommended on this website.

Certainly, we cannot equate the exhaust of a private car to the chimneys of a large thermal power station. However, if you reduce electricity consumption in your workplace, regulate your heating thermostat, use low consumption light bulbs, choose products with few containers in the purchase and recycle the waste you generate at home, you will avoid that thermal power station has to operate more hours. And above all, the people around you will see that it is easy to avoid climate change.

4.- "Stopping climate change would mean worsening our quality of life". Our quality of life is already being affected by the effects of climate change. Not only the environment but also the economic activities on which we depend, such as agriculture, livestock, tourism, etc., are at risk.

5.- "Climate Change is something that will only affect in the future". The changes needed to stop climate change can be planned in advance, while the consequences of climate change come without warning and violently, such as hurricanes, drought, and so on. It is therefore very important to take action now.

6.- "Nuclear energy is the solution to climate change". Although nuclear energy does not produce CO2 in its processes, the risk of accidents and the lack of a system to manage nuclear waste, make it not an alternative. In addition, nuclear fuel will also end up running out (like oil) and it takes a lot of time and money (10-12 years) to build a nuclear power plant. Enhancing nuclear energy also facilitates its military use, such as the creation of atomic bombs.

7.- "The greenhouse effect is an environmental problem." The greenhouse effect is not an environmental problem but a natural phenomenon that allows an average temperature of 15ºC throughout the planet. We have to know that without the greenhouse effect life as we know it would not exist. It is the increase or forcing of this greenhouse effect that causes harmful effects on the climate. Human activities (electricity generation, industrial production, household consumption, transport) increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These extra gases cause global warming, climate change.

8.- "The Climate Change supposes a very small increase of the temperature".

In the last century climate change has increased temperatures approximately:
- between half a degree and one degree on the whole planet
- one degree in Europe
- one and a half grades in Spain

These temperature changes may seem small, even more so when Spaniards can easily experience temperature variations of 20º C, or even more, between a hot midday and a cold night. However, since the last glaciation, when ice covered most of Europe, the average global temperature has only risen between 3 and 5ºC. Therefore, small variations in average temperatures can translate into large changes.

The Kyoto Protocol is the solution to climate change.

No, it was always considered that a reduction of 5% was very small, scientists were already talking about reducing it by 50-60% by half a century. But given that 90% of the world's energy is fossil, it was seen as an important first step in the right direction to which they would have to go.

Who Am I and Why Did I Start This Blog?

My name is Emily. I started this blog because I super into holistic living. I discovered my passion for living a sustainable, healthy lifestyle after my sister got diabetes. I don't want to end up like her!

You are going to find lots of posts on this blog that will help you on your quest to live a more sustainable lifestyle. I really hope you enjoy!