“Beliefs” Can’t Save Us From Reality

I often hear people tell me they aren’t concerned about global warming because they don’t “BELIEVE” in it. Of course that won’t stop climate change from happening, but it underscores a larger issue that goes back to the 16th Century in Europe when “science” was first developing. Up until then most people’s views of the universe were based on religious beliefs, including those about the earth and the heavens. 

That all started to change when Galileo invented a telescope and showed that the earth was part of a planetary solar system and was not the center of the universe. Thus “objective” science was born that was based on measurable facts which often contradicted subjective beliefs.

Today, average warming of the earth is a fact which is based on measurements of the atmosphere and the oceans using data from orbiting satellites.Furthermore, warming of the planet has been shown to be correlated with increases in the concentration of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere due to burning of coal, oil, and natural gas.

Global warming is not a belief, it is a FACT.

People may choose to heed political or religious notions if they wish, but that’s not going to save us from destructive consequences of climate change.