Exploring Climate Change Skepticism: Why Climate Change is Not a Scam? – Factcrescendo Sri Lanka – English

Climate Change: A Critical Challenge in the 21st Century

Climate change has become one of humanity’s most critical challenges in the 21st century. The scientific community, represented prominently by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has provided compelling evidence that human activities, particularly the emission of greenhouse gases, are the primary drivers of the observed global warming trend. However, despite this consensus, skepticism persists, and alternative theories have been proposed to explain the changing climate. This article delves into the various theories climate change skeptics put forth while presenting robust scientific evidence supporting the reality of human-induced climate change. By examining the different arguments skeptics raise, we aim to shed light on the scientific consensus and the urgent need for climate action.

Natural Fluctuations Theory

One of the prevailing arguments climate change skeptics put forth is that climate change is merely a natural phenomenon, and the Earth’s climate has always experienced fluctuations over time. This section examines the role of natural factors, such as solar variations and volcanic eruptions, in influencing historical climate changes. The Milankovitch Theory explains how three cyclical changes in Earth’s orbit and tilt lead to climate fluctuations occurring over tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. Glacial periods begin when these cycles align to increase winter solar radiation and reduce summer solar radiation at 65°N latitude. This creates conditions favoring higher temperatures and more water vapor, increasing snowfall. Cooler summers in the northern latitudes lead to less snow melting and glacier formation. The alignment of these orbital changes determines the amount of solar radiation received at different latitudes throughout the year, with the solar radiation reaching 65°N in the Northern Hemisphere playing a crucial role in the advance and retreat of glaciers and ice sheets. Link. Archived.

“Natural Fluctuations Theory” is not a term used in mainstream climate science. However, it refers to the argument made by some climate change skeptics that climate change is solely or predominantly driven by natural factors and variability rather than human activities.

While it is true that the Earth’s climate has experienced natural fluctuations throughout its history due to various factors such as solar variations, volcanic eruptions, and orbital changes (known as Milankovitch cycles), the scientific consensus is that the current rapid warming trend is primarily caused by human activities, notably the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) and deforestation.

Image Source – Study Rocket

The Eruption Theory

Significant volcanic eruptions, particularly those with explosive force, have the potential to significantly impact Earth’s climate by releasing ash and sulfur dioxide gas. When these materials rise high into the stratosphere due to upper-level winds, they form a blanket that blocks sunlight from reaching the Earth’s surface. Instead, the sunlight is reflected into space, leading to a cooling effect and lowering the average temperature. One notable example is the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which released enough sulfur dioxide to reduce global sunlight by 10% and cool the planet by 0.5°C for about a year. However, the largest eruption in human history was the 1815 eruption of Tambora in Indonesia, causing a “year without a summer” in 1816, leading to extreme cold temperatures worldwide and catastrophic harvest failures resulting in the loss of up to 200,000 lives in Europe. The effects of this massive eruption persisted for four to five years, with a 10% reduction in sunlight reaching Earth.

Link. Archived.

While natural factors can still influence short-term variations in climate, they cannot account for the significant and rapid rise in global temperatures observed over the past century. Human activities, particularly the emission of greenhouse gases, have led to a substantial and unprecedented increase in global temperatures, causing widespread impacts on the environment, ecosystems, and human societies.

Climate Change Conspiracy

Resistance to climate change action, often termed climate “skepticism” or “denialism,” varies in strength across regions but has become a potent political force worldwide, hindering binding efforts by domestic and global policymakers to address anthropogenic climate change. A significant portion of the population

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 13: Climate Action

The article primarily focuses on the issue of climate change and its denial or skepticism. SDG 13 specifically addresses climate action, making it directly connected to the issues discussed in the article.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
• Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
• Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning
• Target 13.4: Implement the commitment undertaken by developed countries to mobilize financial resources to support developing countries in their efforts to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts

The article emphasizes the need for climate action and highlights the importance of strengthening resilience, integrating climate change measures into policies, improving education and awareness, and mobilizing financial resources to address climate change.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
• Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula
• Indicator 13.3.1: Number of countries that have communicated the strengthening of institutional, systemic, and individual capacity-building to implement adaptation, mitigation, and technology transfer
• Indicator 13.4.1: Mobilized amount of United States dollars per year between developed countries and developing countries to support the implementation of agreed-upon UNFCCC frameworks

The article does not explicitly mention indicators, but the identified targets can be measured using the indicators mentioned above. These indicators help track progress in terms of disaster impacts, integration of climate measures in education, capacity-building efforts, and financial support for climate action.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: srilanka.factcrescendo.com

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