We must be careful to not blindly accept the assertions that are put forward in the material we read. I use the following sentences as an example:
"Gases like carbon dioxide and methane act like a blanket, heating up Earth in an unnatural and unprecedented way. The rapidly rising temperatures are directly connected to increased extreme weather events like severe storms, worsening wildfires, and devastating droughts."
This set of sentences came from Nick Paschal writing in “The Cool Down”. Lets look at some of the phrases:
“Gases like carbon dioxide and methane act like a blanket . . .” What other gases? Should we be frightened if there is a complex assortment of gases acting like a blanket? Humans and animals that breathe air output carbon dioxide every time they exhale. We, and they, can not stop exhaling. Plants need to take in carbon dioxide to live. Natural processes also output methane. Carbon dioxide and methane will not (and cannot) cease to exist and will continue to give us this “blanket”.
“. . . heating up Earth in an unnatural and unprecedented way.” There is nothing “unnatural” or “unprecedented” about these gases. Their chemical agency has not changed. They act as they always have acted since humans have learned to investigate them and their effects. In themselves they are not alarming.
“The rapidly rising temperatures. . . “ Really? How rapid, compared to what? Many scientists may not agree the temperatures are “rapidly” rising. There is currently dispute about this point. We can all agree we are not in an Ice Age. We all agree the Ice Age took place long ago. Climates have changed and will continue to change. Climate changed before there was any significant human activity.
“[T]emperatures are directly connected to increased extreme weather events . . .” No one likes severe storms, wildfires or devastating droughts. By their very nature they are severe, wild and devastating. They always have been. But which is increasing – the events, or our recording and reporting of them? The reporting of them and the varied interpretations of them certainly has increased. The outlets for our reporting have increased like Facebook, X, Twitter, and “The Cool Down”.
All of us should be careful of the assertions we read and hear and beware of the bias of the information. But we should also beware of our own blinders and earmuffs.
