"The dominance of short-term perspectives has led to routine decisions in the markets that sacrifice the long-term buildup of genuine value in pursuit of artificial, short-term gains... As human beings, we are vulnerable to confusing the unprecedented with the improbable. In our everyday experience, if something has never happened before, we are generally safe in assuming it is not going to happen in the future, but the exceptions can kill you and climate change is one of those exceptions." -- Al Gore

So, you've heard climate change is a scam? Allow me to clear up some common misconceptions — so common, even a president can make them!

1. Local weather is not an indication of global temperature patterns, averages/rates of warming, cooling, and sea levels.

Climate is different than weather. In short, the climate is atmospheric averages over long periods of time while weather is atmospheric occurrences observed during any single instance.

Honestly, any junior in high school should know this.

Trump's primary concern seems to be monetary capital. His solution? Cut funding for environmental science research and restoration. It truly is ironic that by attempting to save money in short-term, he is suggesting we sacrifice not only trillions^10 USD. in future global infrastructure destruction but the health and well-being of our planets plants, animals, and resources. Keep in mind, the global population is increasing dramatically, and so is use and processing of natural resources. If more effort is not put into sustainable environmental practices and transparency in media — capitalism will take precedence over longevity — and the world will be dead before the next millennium.

Unfortunately for Trump, who claims to be right about everything.

2. science does not support his claims that a cold winter indicates a fraudulent climate change.

A recent article on critically acclaimed Scientific American addresses this misconception with data backed by NOAA and NASA:

"On the surface it certainly can appear that way (harsh and cold). But just because some of us are suffering through a particularly cold and snowy winter doesn't refute the fact that the globe is warming as we continue to pump carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1997. And the National Atmospheric and Oceanographic Administration (NOAA) reports that recent decades have been the warmest since at least around 1000 AD, and that the warming we've seen since the late 19th century is unprecedented over the last 1,000 years."

Scientific consensus suggests on average over 95% of professional scientists agree global warming is an immediate and malignant threat. Essentially, the real scam is capitalism and those who deny man-made climate change.

Wikimedia Commons

It is incredibly dangerous to allow this misinformation to be spread by those with widespread influence.

It is not too late to slow the rate of warming. There is already irreparable damage done to many ecosystems, but hope should not be lost. Don't let anyone tell you the cause is hopeless, because if everyone believed that it would be. Although much of the damage done by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is polluted from companies, companies in which the individual has little or no control over, we do have control over politicians and law-makers who have better access to large-scale methods of downscaling carbon emissions.

The case for optimism on climate change | Al GoreYouTube

Let's start at the beginning of time. It is important to keep in mind that The timeline of bipedal homo (upright early humans) extends only 0.01% of the total age of the planet.

Often you may hear an argument citing interglacial and glacial periods being a natural part of the Earth's processes. This is actually true. The caveat here is that it takes massive amounts of time (hundreds of thousands) of years to switch between climate maximums and minimums. We know this argument does not support an absence of climate change because the rate of current warming is documented to be 1000s of times faster than ever recorded in 99.9 % of Earths biological history.

Significant, indisputable spikes in carbon levels correlated with unprecedented climate patterns line up with the expansion of the mechanical age — only 200 years ago. This is approximately .0001% of the Earths timeline.

This leads us to only one conclusion: the rate of climate change is manmade. We know that there has been a severe disruption in the natural processes of the Earth, and without careful attention and policy changes — man will destroy the Earth inimitable a few centuries if we even get that far.

So, You've Heard About inter-glacial periods? We're fine then, right?

You wish.

Unfortunately for us, "Each glacial period lasted for 40-100 thousand years, whereas the interglacial periods are shorter, typically 5-40 thousand years." So, it is irrational to suggest the rate of warming (see below under Green House Effect) is naturally occurring.

Natural interglacial Periods happen over hundreds of thousands of years--not 200 years.

How does global warming happen?

Global warming is attributed to the Greenhouse effect. Human endeavors such as burning coal, oil, and gas release toxins (cO2, Methane, NO2, etc...) into the atmosphere, shattering healthy balances of chemicals that not only humans breath, but the entire Earth breaths. These gases form a semi-barrier high above Earth's surface and traps heat rays inside.

The Greenhouse effect is another natural occurrence aggravated by human behavior.

Fun fact: Gas, oil, and coal are actually pressurized ancient biotic matter and we only have a finite amount of it!

http://www.iceandclimate.nbi.ku.dk

CO2 is the top contributor to the Greenhouse Effect. It is undeniable that human activities have glutted the air with harmful chemical levels.

CO2 Rates are climbing exponentially. The only explanation is human pollution.

FACTS

“Earth's climate has warmed significantly since the late 1800s, human activities (primarily greenhouse gas emissions) are the primary cause, continuing emissions will increase the likelihood and severity of global effects, and that people could manage future climate change impacts through intense efforts at reducing further warming while preparing for any unavoidable climate changes." —Wikipedia

Why does this matter?

Those who combat science may say: “what is a couple inches of sea level increase to us? I quite enjoy hotter weather."

Well, despite being a moral issue as caretakers for this planet being a good enough reason, if it takes personal safety to be in jeopardy for one to care, then there is a reason for concern there, too.

Sea level rising will not only flood and destroy coastal towns, but it will also eradicate many crops and marine communities instantly. A few degrees of sea level warming can kill almost all marine life. Marine life is integral for many cultural main sources of food and supplies. Not only will marine ecosystems suffer, but land crop cycles will also be put to the test: and not all industries of marketable food will survive.

Basically, if we allow this to continue at this rate within the next hundred years we will see (if we aren't already): food shortages, clean water shortages, infrastructure damage, loss of land, species, and habitat, wildfires, depletion of oil and gas supplies, acidification of oceans, and increasing rates of extreme weather events.

It's getting hot in here.https://www.climate-change-guide.com

Not only will we lose marine ecology, but permanent temperature change also causes unpredictable and chaotic natural disasters.

It being cold during certain times of the year is by NO MEANS an indicator of the absence of climate change.

Belief in convenient falsehoods will kill us all. Not only will present and future members of the human species suffer because of this, but the planet will also exhaust all of its resources at an exponential rate furthering warming and forever destabilizing all of Earth's biomes, and the life within them.

How can we help?

- Clean Energy Solutions (hydro energy, wind energy, geothermal...etc.)

- Reduction of dependence on oil, capitalism, and one-use industries.

- Sustainable management of resources such as food, water, soil, trees, and

- Political and social ramifications for polluters and caps on emissions.

- A Common Goal: Sustainability of future life on Earth.