Debunked: 6 Common Climate-Change Myths and the Science That Refutes Them

Earth’s climate has changed many times over geological history, but the current warming is different: it is happening faster and is driven largely by human activity. Multiple independent lines of evidence — from ice cores and tree rings to long-term atmospheric records — show rising carbon dioxide (CO2) and global temperatures in step with the industrial-era surge in fossil-fuel burning. Below are six widespread myths about climate change, with the facts and concise explanations based on research and major scientific institutions.

Myth: Scientists don’t agree about climate change.

Fact: Over 99% of climate scientists agree that human activities are warming the planet, with burning oil, coal and natural gas the primary driver.

Explanation: Human-caused climate change has been examined extensively across many disciplines. Major reviews and scientific bodies, including NASA and other research organizations, report a strong and durable consensus among experts.

Myth: Climate change is a political hoax.

Fact: The physical processes that govern Earth’s climate operate independently of politics. The conclusion that humans are changing the climate is supported by virtually all major scientific institutions.

Explanation: Political views cannot alter atmospheric chemistry or the planet’s energy balance. Governments and communities across political lines increasingly implement mitigation and adaptation measures because the underlying scientific evidence is clear.

Myth: We can’t possibly know that humans are causing climate change.

Fact: We can. Global surface temperatures and atmospheric CO2 concentrations have risen together since the Industrial Revolution, coinciding with large-scale combustion of fossil fuels.

Explanation: Long-term records compiled by agencies such as NASA, NOAA, the U.K. Met Office, Japan’s meteorological service and the ECMWF show consistent warming trends that correlate with the rise in greenhouse gas emissions.

Myth: The climate is always changing; today is no different.

Fact: While the climate has changed naturally in the past, the current rate of warming is unusually rapid and is primarily driven by human emissions over the past ~250 years.

Explanation: Research published in leading journals (for example, a 2016 Nature study) finds that modern rates of carbon release and warming are unprecedented in the last tens of millions of years.

Myth: There’s nothing we can do about climate change, so why bother?

Fact: We already have many tools and technologies to limit warming and reduce future impacts.

Explanation: International assessments, including reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), identify effective approaches—rapid deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency, changes in land use and agricultural practices, improved public transit, and coastal resilience planning—that can substantially reduce future harm. Many of these solutions are cost-effective and are being adopted worldwide.

Myth: We can’t live without oil.

Fact: Societies cannot stop using oil overnight, but falling costs and rapid growth in wind, solar and other clean technologies make a transition away from fossil fuels feasible and increasingly economical.

Explanation: The belief that economic prosperity requires continuing heavy fossil-fuel use is outdated in many regions. Renewables and efficiency measures are already lowering energy costs and creating alternatives that support both the economy and the environment.

What the evidence and experts recommend

Scientists emphasize both mitigation (reducing greenhouse-gas emissions) and adaptation (preparing communities for changes already underway). Practical steps include accelerating renewable energy deployment, improving energy efficiency, expanding sustainable transport, protecting and restoring ecosystems, and investing in resilient infrastructure.

Sources: Scientific assessments and data from NASA, NOAA, the IPCC, peer-reviewed studies (including Nature), ECMWF, and solution inventories such as Project Drawdown. Reporting and synthesis also draw on collaborative projects that highlight climate science and solutions.

By Erica Van Buren