Global Warming: what if it's a big hoax and we create a better world for nothing?

As an ecologist-in-training, I often take for granted the hours, months, and years I’ve spent learning about the planet. Terms like global warming are part of my everyday vocabulary, which obviously isn’t the case for everyone. Take Donald Trump, for example. After this ~illuminating~ tweet that came out at the end of 2017, I thought to myself, if the president of our country doesn’t understand the concept of global warming and climate change, what hope is there for citizens of the country who have far fewer resources for council, discussion, and education? So, I thought I’d break it down here: what is global warming, what’s the bottom line, and what can I do?

"In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming..." Donald Trump tweet (28 Dec 2017)

Global Warming, what it is? I’m going to walk through the concept of climate, starting from the regional scale and building up to the global scale. Here are some important points:

Climate is not a day-to-day phenomenon. It’s not even a year-to-year phenomenon. Rather, climate is a measurement of weather (i.e. precipitation and temperature) averaged over a minimum of 3 decades. It’s summarized with averages and estimates of variability to predict expected weather for a given region. The point here: everyday, regional weather ≠ global climate.

Climate changes – that’s a fact. Over the last few millennia, climate change has taken us from ice age to warming period, back to ice age. What scientists today refer to when they use the term “climate change” is the rate at which climate is changing. In our Earth’s history, there has never been a change in climate as rapid as there is right now. The very fact that we are now experiencing the coldest colds, the hottest hots, the wettest wets, and the driest dries, means that climate is changing – drastically.

Global climate and global warming are not regional phenomenon. So, if we take the concepts from above and mush them together, global climate is the average of all of the regional climates across the planet. Some places may be getting hotter and some places may be getting colder, but overall, the planet is experiencing warming. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—an agency responsible for monitoring everything from daily weather forecasts and climate monitoring to fisheries management and marine commerce—reports that average global temperatures have increased at a rate of 0.3°F (0.17°C) for the last three decades. This is more than double the rate of warming observed for the entire period of recorded observations (1880-2015) [1].

Climate change and global warming are human-caused. This concept in and of itself could be its own article, but here’s the gist: the warming we are experiencing is the direct result of the amount of carbon humans have released into the atmosphere. The massive amounts of fossil fuels humans have burned since industrialization have been released as carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases into the atmosphere. Now imagine a greenhouse, these gases are good at trapping heat (like glass), allowing sunlight in and reducing the heat allowed to escape. If we do nothing to reduce our impact, average global temperatures could increase by 9°F (5°C) by the end of the century [2]. And remember that's an average across the entire planet where some places will get a lot hotter and other places will get a lot colder.

Bottom line:

Global warming describes a rapid increase in global average temperature that will affect regional climates in varying ways. We’re already seeing this manifest itself in the extreme drought here in California, the crazy storm patterns and hurricane cycles on the East Coast of the United States, the intensification of monsoon seasons in Southeast Asia, and the incredible loss of sea ice in the Arctic, to name a few. The next phase of our planet will be characterized by increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters (make sure to check out Kate’s upcoming article on the Thomas fire). Global warming is real and it will dramatically change the planet as we know it within our own lives and undoubtedly for the lives of future generations.

Still, if none of the above convinces you, I think the cartoonist, Joel Pett, sums it up quite beautifully:

What if it's a big hoax and we create a better world for nothing? Joel Pett, USA Today

So, what can I do?

Coming into the new year, a lot of us have resolutions with themes focused on improving our health or spending less money. Conveniently, a lot of things that are good for us and good for our bank accounts are also great for the planet. Easy things like reducing the amount of red meat you consume (even a 20% reduction in meat consumption can reduce carbon emissions by 50%), choosing standard shipping on online purchases (rather than 2-day), and choosing reusable bottles and cups for water and coffee reduce our carbon footprint, but also make us more conscious about what we’re putting in our bodies and what we’re taking out of our wallets.

Personally, I love the Climate Lab series on YouTube produced by the University of California (shout-out to Amala John, friend and UNC grad student, for the recommendation). It’s hosted by the very charismatic and very articulate Dr. M. Sanjayan. Sanjayan breaks down what creates our carbon footprint and how to reduce it in a really digestible way. 10/10 would recommend. ;)

Wrapping it up…

I come from a place of privilege as I write this article. I have both the time and the means to consider my impact on the planet and actively make changes to lead a more sustainable life. Moreover, I have the luxury of education and the privilege to pursue my passion to study the planet. In the United States, we are lucky to be in a place of power when it comes to international relations. We are also in a position where we have the monetary capabilities of actively making green choices that will affect the entire planet. Trump exults in the fact that he has taken the United States out of the Paris Climate Talks, but this is a step in the wrong direction with the wrong intentions and the wrong information.

Ignorance is bliss and if we really think about the state of our planet, life can seem pretty dismal. However, I am a strong believer in the big impact of little people. If we all make green choices together, this contentious era of our country’s history—and the planet’s history, for that matter—need not be defined by the current administration. Our future will be shaped by the people willing to make the changes to make a difference.