Social media spreads a lot of false information about climate change. This really confuses people and slows down progress on environmental solutions. Some people post claims that deny climate change or push strange theories, like saying secret projects cause natural disasters. One common myth is that “they” changed from “global warming” to “climate change”. This is false.

“Global warming” means the Earth’s temperatures are getting higher. This is because more greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, are building up in the atmosphere. “Climate change” includes global warming but also covers other big changes happening to our planet, like sea levels going up, glaciers and ice sheets getting smaller. Other major changes include more frequent and intense heat waves that break records on land and in the ocean, heavy rainstorms, severe floods, long-lasting droughts, extreme wildfires, and widespread flooding during hurricanes.

Learn more about extreme weather events here: Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Stay tuned for more common myths.