Climate
-
Brace Yourself: Why Turbulence Is Getting Worse
Have you flown lately? Have you noticed that turbulence is getting worse? Remember these shocking 2024 headlines? “A flight attendant broke her back during severe turbulence on a flight in Turkey—the third major incident of its kind in a week.” “Singapore Airlines flight hits severe turbulence, one passenger dead.” Buckle Up! Turbulence is making headlines! More and more, we’re hearing jaw-dropping stories of terrifying flights. In May 2024, a Singapore Airlines flight hit extreme turbulence, bouncing like a roller coaster and plunging 178 feet in just 4.6 seconds! The chaos left 104 people needing medical help, with 20 in intensive care. One person suffered a fatal heart attack. That same…
-
Fact-Checking Series No. 5: Busting Yet Another Myth About Climate Change
Let’s Call a Spade a Spade! I’m back, busting yet another myth about climate change! Ever heard of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI)? It’s a “think tank” (a group that shares ideas) that doesn’t believe humans are causing climate change. Sounds wild, right? Even more interesting, they’ve gotten money from groups that don’t like environmental rules, like the Charles Koch Foundation and ExxonMobil. Through 2016, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation contributed over $2.2 million to CEI.—that’s a whole lot of cash! Now, CEI once published a list basically saying, “People have been predicting environmental disasters since the 1960s, and they’re still doing it today!” But are these predictions really…
-
Fact-checking Series No. 4: Busting Myths About Climate Change
Climate change is a big issue, and there are a lot of myths about climate change out there that can make it hard to know what’s true. Some people think it’s just a natural cycle, while others believe small actions don’t matter. These ideas can cause confusion and slow down efforts to fix the problem. In this article, we’ll break down some common myths about climate change and explain the real facts in a simple way, so everyone can tell what’s true and what’s not. Scientists predicted global cooling in the 70s I see this myth about climate change on social media almost every day. It’s actually a myth that…
-
Fact-Checking Series No. 1: Uncovering the Truth About Climate
I’d love to share with you my new Fact-Checking Series, where I will focus on uncovering the truth about climate and clarifying misunderstandings. I’ll be addressing the usual claims from people who don’t believe that Earth’s climate is changing because of human activities. I’ll start with some of the most common myths I come across on social media every day. Climate’s Changed Before Climate Has Changed Before? Bingo! Who would’ve guessed? Of course, scientists are well aware of this. Uncovering the truth: while Earth’s climate has naturally warmed and cooled over the ages, the rapid warming we’re seeing today can’t be chalked up to natural causes like changes in Earth’s…
-
How are “Global Warming” and “Climate Change” Different?
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…
-
Fact-checking Series No. 2: Uncovering the Truth About Climate
Welcome to the second installment of my Fact-Checking Series, where I focus on uncovering the truth about climate and clarifying misunderstandings. I’ll be addressing more of the common climate myths from people who don’t believe that Earth’s climate is changing because of human activities. Below are more common claims I come across on social media every day. Beware, the list is very long! Changes in Earth’s magnetic field are causing global warming This climate myth is false. Studies show that the last three magnetic field excursions, and any within the last 2.8 million years, haven’t caused notable climate changes. Earth’s magnetic field shifts naturally, but these shifts do not influence…
-
Fact-checking Series #3: Myths About Carbon Dioxide
Welcome to the third part of my Fact-Checking Series, where I dig into myths about carbon dioxide and clear up misunderstandings about climate. Carbon dioxide, or CO₂, is an invisible gas that is all around us in the air. It’s made up of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. People and animals breathe it out when we exhale, and plants take it in to help them grow through a process called photosynthesis. CO₂ is also a strong greenhouse gas, which means it traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. Without CO₂, our planet would be too cold for us to live. While this is natural and important for life, too…
-
What’s the Difference Between Weather and Climate?
You’re not alone if you don’t know the difference between the two. It’s a very common question! Weather and climate are related, but they are not the same thing. Weather is what’s happening outside right now or over a short period, like a day or a week. It includes things like temperature, rain, wind, or snow. Is it sunny or cloudy out today? That’s also weather. Climate, on the other hand, is the average weather in a place over a long time, usually 30 years or more. For example, it might rain a lot in one week (that’s weather), but if an area usually gets lots of rain year after…
