Facts exist, whether we choose to believe in them or not. Take what is happening in Alaska for example.
Alaska makes up about 18 percent of the United States’ total land area, while storing 53 percent of the nation’s carbon in permafrost below the ground, according to a US Geological Survey.
A warming trend in Alaska impacted the Arctic ice pack, the permafrost, and the freeze-thaw cycle. The loss of permafrost and melting glaciers can spell trouble for Alaska, but that trouble may head south. Increased carbon and rising sea levels can soon be far more than an Alaska problem – whether we choose to believe in the cause of these effects or not.
While Alaskans may be seeing the early impacts of global warming, 97 percent of all climate scientists have come into agreement that human caused global warming is happening. A depressingly large number of Americans were unaware of the strength of that scientific consensus in a recent survey – still choosing to believe there is a controversy or uncertainty behind global warming.
As intelligent humans, we have the luxury of not believing in certain concepts or ideas. We can be skeptical about theories.
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The anti-science surrounding this issue is so vast, and so deep that it runs the risk of preventing us from taking any adequate measures to protect our environment. We’ve withdrawn from climate agreements and introduced legislation that bottle necks what our children will learn on the subject.
As intelligent humans, we have the luxury of not believing in certain concepts or ideas. We can be skeptical about theories. But when 97 percent of the leading scientists in a given field tell us that something is so, to do anything other than accept it as fact, seems naïve at best, and catastrophically short sighted at worst.
The Anti-Science Movement
A new wave of 11 anti-science bills have crept into various state and local legislatures across the country. The bills allow for alternatives to the theory of evolution to be taught in classrooms, and allow teachers to question whether humans contributed to climate change.
Florida is one state with pending legislation. Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee already have their versions. These states run the risk of falling victim to a tragic irony. The deep south could experience some of the most drastic impacts of global warming through the 21st century.
A study published in Science predicted that the U.S Gross Domestic Product could shrink anywhere from 1.6 to 5.6 percent over the 21st century, the vast majority of that loss being absorbed in the south. Some states could see agricultural yields dwindle by 50 percent. Some will see a spike in the mortality rate due to the rising temperatures.
Some of the states that appear the least concerned are the same states that could experience the most significant impacts.
The Necessary Will
We live in a world of alternative facts. We have the luxury (or the naivety) of calling the news we don’t like “fake.” But the situation persists. Climate change doesn’t care if you believe in it. Neither does science. Your religious and political beliefs aren’t an adequate filter for fact. These things exist. These things are irrefutable.
We have technology to make an impact and improve our environment for the better. There are electric cars and clean energy options. There are congressmen, governors and mayors out there struggling to educate the public and do the right thing. States and cities are committing to abide by the Paris Climate Agreement.
We just need the will to stop denying the problem. Preferably before the worst of it occurs. This is where we could use more science and less politics.
Listen to the Scientists
Science is the best method we have to find answers. Its job is to uncover the truth. Sometimes highly emotional, political subjects simply don’t stand up to the science. Learning how to accept the truth can put us in the best possible position to prepare for the future.
Matt Brennan is a marketing copywriter, occasional parenting writer, and journalist in the Chicago area. He is also the author of Write Right-Sell Now.
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This post is republished on Medium.
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The Earth has been in a warming cycle since the last ice age. Yes, the climate changes. The reasons for the change are what is in question. CO2 has been proven to be reactive to increases in planet temperature, not the cause. CO2 is the gas that gives life to our planet. Politicians should not be making policy that affects everyone in the country without solid proof, not alarmist rhetoric that puts taxpayer money in the pockets of special interests “green energy” groups or the fossil fuel industry.
It is unfortunate that global warming has become a partisan political issue int eh U.S. It is disputed by some politicians who are beholden to fossil fuel interests, but it is not disputed by climate scientists who have studied this issue. It is time to put partisan politics aside and work together to deal with the biggest challenge human civilization has ever faced.