A new study published by Environmental Science and Technology further solidifies what nearly all of the scientific community has agreed upon: climate change exists and humans are likely the cause.
The study surveyed 1,868 scientists who were asked 35 climate-related questions. The research found that 90 percent of respondents, who had authored at least 10 peer-reviewed publications on climate change, agreed that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are causing climate change. Those who authored less than 10 peer-reviewed publications were less likely to agree that GHG emissions caused climate change. Basically, there is a correlation between more work in the field and acknowledgement of GHGs as a viable argument.
Despite such overwhelming evidence and the large consensus that man-made climate change exists and has been going on for decades, there is still a frightful amount of people who refuse to accept the facts, Salon reported. According to Salon, the study’s lead author, Bart Verheggen, said that the “public tends to lag behind the scientific community.” It all boils down to media coverage.
It was noted that of the majority in the study that supported the idea of man-made climate change, only 15 percent received frequent media coverage. However, of those who opposed the notion of man-made climate change, 30 percent received media coverage.
According to a 2009 survey, 97.5 percent of all active, publishing climatologists believed that human-produced GHGs contributed to the earth’s changing climate. That majority has remained consistent throughout several subsequent surveys which indicated, from 2010 to 2013, that an average of 97 percent of climate scientists believed climate change is attributed to man-made causes.
The biggest obstacle to overcome in the climate change debate is ignorance and close-mindedness. Bad science and climate policy based on ideology is the great enemy of progress. Change that, and all else will follow.
Josh is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. Follow him on Twitter @dnJdeli.
