Recently, many myths and misinformation about climate change and global warming have come back to the fore. “The cold weather proves that global warming is not real” or “Extreme weather events are natural and not related to human activity.” InfoClima.ro explain some of these global warming myths.
The year 2024 will be the hottest in the world since there are complete climate data, and in Romania we had the hottest summer in history, but also in February and March that “beat” dozens of heat records. Although November was a cool month, there is a good chance that this year will also be the hottest in Romania. The five warmest years on record in Romania were 2023, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2015. The extreme cold years were 1933, 1985, 1980 and 1965. You can read how much Romania’s climate has changed in the last 60 years here.
In recent years, disinformation about the science behind climate change has gained momentum, especially in the online sphere, this fact having visible consequences in public and political discourse, writes Bogdan Antonescu, specialist in climate phenomena extremes, on InfoClima.ro.
The consensus of scientists is as clear as possible: climate change and its effects affect us all, the situation may worsen, but through a collective effort we can fight this phenomenon in the short time we have left.
Climate change is an increasingly present topic in today’s society. A lot of confusion has been created around this complex phenomenon, which has led to an increase in people’s skepticism.
Here are some of the most common myths about climate change, its impact and effects.
Myth 1: Climate change has no influence on extreme weather events
While it is true that no weather event can be entirely attributed to climate change, scientific evidence shows that climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity and duration of extreme weather events. For example, as indicated in the latest IPCC report, the increase in global temperature leads to more intense heat waves, heavier rains. Attribution studies, which look at the role of climate change on specific events, provide scientific evidence that many of the recent extreme phenomena are significantly influenced by human activity.
For example, at the end of August (August 30-31) and mid-September (September 15-17, Extratropical Cyclone Boris) 2024, a series of extreme rainfall events will affect the southeast of Romania. Attribution studies (LINK1, LINK2) carried out by ClimaMeter immediately after the cessation of these events showed that climate change played an important role in the occurrence of the events, and natural variability a relatively modest role.
Myth 2: Cold weather proves global warming isn’t real
The rise in global average temperatures does not mean we will no longer have snow and winter weather. Climate change does not eliminate cold weather, but it impacts large-scale weather patterns and in some cases may intensify certain extremes.
For example, disturbances in the polar vortex, possibly related to the warming of the Arctic, can cause cold air to reach regions such as North America or Europe. At the same time, global warming refers to the long-term trend of increasing global average temperatures, not the absence of cold days. Data collected around the world consistently show this warming trend, although there are regional periods characterized by low temperatures.
Myth 3: Extreme weather events are natural and have always had this frequency
Extreme weather phenomena have always existed, no one disputes this. But their frequency, intensity, duration and impact have changed due to climate change. Thus, climate change alters the characteristics of the phenomena that we were used to. Scientific observations confirm that heat waves, heavy rains, droughts and storms have become more intense and more frequent in many parts of the world due to human activity.
For example, studies show that the probability of very high temperature extreme events has increased significantly, transforming an event that was seen once every 100 years into one that now happens once every 10 years or even more often. These changes are consistent with climate model projections and observational data.
It is important to say that climate change is not limited to high temperatures. The negative consequences also affect food production, public health and biodiversity. Thus, the issue of climate change concerns us all. Every person can help limit global warming in the future.
Read the full article on InfoClima.ro
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