Submission + - âoeClimate Change is caused by humansâ say 99.9% of scientists (theguardian.com)
knaapie writes: It may still be fuel for hot debate on social media, but 99.9% of scientist actually agree on the fact that humans are altering the climate.
The Guardian reports that the degree of scientific certainty about the impact of greenhouse gases is now similar to the level of agreement on evolution and plate tectonics, the authors say, based on a survey by Cornell University of nearly 90,000 climate-related studies. This means there is practically no doubt among experts that burning fossil fuels, such as oil, gas, coal, peat and trees, is heating the planet and causing more extreme weather.
âoeIt is really case closed. There is nobody of significance in the scientific community who doubts human-cased climate change,â said the lead author, Mark Lynas, a visiting fellow at Cornell University.
In contrast, the paper cites a 2016 study by the Pew Research Center that found only 27% of US adults believed that âoealmost allâ scientists agreed the climate emergency was caused by human activity. And according to the Center for American Progress, 30 US senators and 109 representatives âoerefuse to acknowledge the scientific evidence of human-caused climate changeâ. Several big media organisations and social networks also promote climate-sceptical views that have little or no basis in science.
Lynas said the study should encourage them to review their policies. âoeThis puts the likes of Facebook and Twitter in a quandary. It is pretty similar to vaccine misinformation; they both lack a basis in science and they both have a destructive impact on society. Social networks that allow climate misinformation to spread need to look at their algorithms and policies or to be forced to do so by regulators.â
The Guardian reports that the degree of scientific certainty about the impact of greenhouse gases is now similar to the level of agreement on evolution and plate tectonics, the authors say, based on a survey by Cornell University of nearly 90,000 climate-related studies. This means there is practically no doubt among experts that burning fossil fuels, such as oil, gas, coal, peat and trees, is heating the planet and causing more extreme weather.
âoeIt is really case closed. There is nobody of significance in the scientific community who doubts human-cased climate change,â said the lead author, Mark Lynas, a visiting fellow at Cornell University.
In contrast, the paper cites a 2016 study by the Pew Research Center that found only 27% of US adults believed that âoealmost allâ scientists agreed the climate emergency was caused by human activity. And according to the Center for American Progress, 30 US senators and 109 representatives âoerefuse to acknowledge the scientific evidence of human-caused climate changeâ. Several big media organisations and social networks also promote climate-sceptical views that have little or no basis in science.
Lynas said the study should encourage them to review their policies. âoeThis puts the likes of Facebook and Twitter in a quandary. It is pretty similar to vaccine misinformation; they both lack a basis in science and they both have a destructive impact on society. Social networks that allow climate misinformation to spread need to look at their algorithms and policies or to be forced to do so by regulators.â
