The media, activists and some politicians are causing enormous damage by exaggerating climate change (global warming).
Such climate exaggeration is damaging the mental state of millions and undermining our ability to deal with climate change. It leads to a poor ability to adapt to the moderate effects of global warming or to take practical steps that could be highly protective.
Yesterday’s front page of the Seattle Times featured a story (reprinted from the NY Times) about the rapid growth of climate change anxiety and the burgeoning industry providing therapy to the desperate and needy. painful.
There are hundreds of articles in the major media about the rapid rise of “climate grief”. And a recent paper in the medical journal, The Lancet, surveyed 10,000 children and young people (aged 16–25 years) in ten countries, finding that 59% are very or extremely anxious and 84% are at least moderately anxious. More than 50% said they felt sad, worried, angry, helpless, helpless and guilty, and 75% said they thought the future was scary.
Existing threat
One of the most frequent measures by the media and activists is that global warming is a existential threats. Just a reminder, an existential threat is a threat to VERY CURRENT. We are talking about death.
Major US politicians like Congressman Ocasio Cortez say that global warming is not only an existential threat, we are less than 12 years away. Young people are suffering.
There are thousands of stories in the media that say climate change (global warming) is an existential threat. President Biden and the US senator from California are saying the same thing:
Check out the Seattle Times for the terms “existing threat” and climate, and you’ll find hundreds of stories that make that connection (see below). The Seattle Times is famous for its baseless apocalyptic climate headlines and David Horsey’s terror cartoons. Completely irresponsible.
I receive dozens of emails and calls each year from people who are worried, including those wondering if they should have children, considering the world will end soon.
Simply wrong
Existing threat trading is not based on science or facts. Read the latest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report produced by leading scientists: No existential threats were noted. The same goes for the US National Climate Assessment. Read peer-reviewed scientific literature. No threat exists.
Global warming is a serious problem that is developing slowly, but we can solve it with carbon emissions reduction and mitigation/adaptation efforts. There will be impacts, some serious, but nothing threatening to human existence or even the progress of our species.
We can deal with climate change, and there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
For example, the number of climate-related deaths is decreasing (see below). Richer, more technologically advanced societies can protect themselves from environmental threats. And I’m proud that dramatically improved weather forecasting plays an important role in saving lives and reducing economic impact.
Worried about wildfires in the American West? By restoring (eg, thinning, prescribed burning) overgrown forests (destroyed by nearly a century of fire suppression), we can significantly reduce catastrophic fires. . Inundated with a concern? We need to move people who live near rivers or on historic floodplains – or take necessary steps to keep them safe (e.g. better dykes, improved warning systems).
Irresponsible media, such as Seattle Times, Washington Post, Guardian, National Public Radio (e.g. local KNKX) are delivering a scary message that has nothing to do with science or reality. So are some politicians. You can imagine why they do it – and often it’s not for benevolent reasons.
Inflating climate change is simply unethical and misguided.
Those who exaggerate climate change are damaging the mental state of the most vulnerable in society. And their end-of-the-world claims lead to poor decisions – like relative inaction on forest repairs, opposition to natural gas as a fuel substitute in dirty bunkers at Puget Sound shipping, and oppose nuclear energy.
Some people speak English like a native, “follow science.” Fine, let’s do it. Science does not suggest that global warming will lead to the end of humanity or even the end of humanity’s progress towards longer, healthier and better lives.
Apocalyptic predictions calling for immediate action have gotten our country in trouble many times in the past, leading to major flaws. The world will become communist unless we go to Vietnam, that Sadam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction require us to start a war with Iraq, that the communist threat requires a reign of terror led by McCarthy in the United States. Alcohol is a threat that we need to ban.
We are doing it again with climate change. When will we learn?
