10 Climate Change Myths Debunked Covering Climate Now

Climate misinformation is everywhere. This guide equips journalists to recognize and refute key myths and report the truth. The Keeling Curve, showing the rise in global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels since the pre-industrial era. (Source: Scripps Institution of Oceanography) Scientists the world over agree that climate change is real, it’s happening now, and it’s caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Still, there are a lot of myths being repeated about climate change, and even journalists can get taken in.

Most climate change myths have been perpetuated by fossil fuel companies, their political allies, and others with vested interests in the status quo. For decades, they’ve spent millions of dollars on advertising, think tank “studies,” and lobbying to confuse the public, policymakers, and the press and thereby forestall climate action. This has led some journalists to soften their coverage — for example, by not connecting climate change to extreme weather — leaving the public misinformed. This guide equips journalists to recognize and refute these myths and report the truth. Earth’s climate has changed throughout history, causing a number of climate change impacts affecting human life and the ecosystem, experts say. Information gathered by scientists from sources such as ice cores, rocks, and tree rings shows signs of a changing climate, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

From global temperature rise to melting ice sheets, the evidence of a warming planet is clear. There are a number of myths surrounding climate change and its impacts. Here are some of the myths, along with actual facts from various sources, including Covering Climate Now. This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Partners. Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@gannett.com or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.

Despite persistent rumors and conspiracy theories, new data in 2024 and 2025 has made it clearer than ever that climate change is an undeniable reality. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a landmark report in late 2024 confirming that over 97% of climate scientists worldwide agree that human activity is the main cause of global warming. NASA’s latest satellite observations show that global average temperatures have climbed by about 1.2°C since pre-industrial times, with the past decade being the warmest ever recorded. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) also reported that 2024 was the hottest year in recorded history, breaking temperature records on every continent. These findings are based on millions of data points collected from ocean buoys, weather stations, and satellites. Even major oil companies like Shell and BP have acknowledged the reality of climate change in their 2025 strategy documents.

The myth that climate change is a hoax is simply not supported by any credible scientific body or institution. The idea that current warming trends are just part of Earth’s natural fluctuations has been repeatedly disproven by recent research. A comprehensive study published in “Nature” in March 2025 found that today’s rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide is occurring at a rate 100 times faster than any natural increase seen in the last 65... Ice core records and deep-sea sediments analyzed by NOAA scientists reveal that natural cycles, such as those caused by volcanic eruptions and solar changes, cannot account for the rapid temperature spikes seen since 1950. The World Climate Research Programme reported in January 2025 that industrial emissions are now the dominant force altering Earth’s climate. The evidence also shows that greenhouse gas concentrations have reached levels not seen in 2 million years.

This rapid acceleration simply does not fit the pace or pattern of natural cycles documented throughout history. The myth that renewable energy is too weak or unreliable for modern society is being shattered by recent advances and adoption rates. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), over 80% of all newly installed electricity generation in 2024 came from renewables—mainly solar and wind. The IEA’s 2025 World Energy Outlook notes that solar energy prices have dropped by a staggering 89% since 2010, making it cheaper than coal or gas in most regions. Denmark and Germany now generate more than half of their electricity from renewables, and China—the world’s largest energy consumer—installed 230 gigawatts of new solar capacity in 2024 alone. Battery storage technology has also improved, with grid-scale batteries now providing reliable backup for intermittent sources.

Real-world case studies, such as California’s 2024 achievement of running on 100% renewables for multiple days, demonstrate that meeting society’s needs with clean energy is not just possible but already happening. Concerns about the environmental cost of electric vehicles (EVs), especially regarding battery production and disposal, have been addressed by fresh research in 2025. According to a comprehensive analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists, EVs now emit about 50% less carbon dioxide over their entire lifetimes compared to gasoline-powered cars, even when accounting for battery manufacturing and... As electricity grids worldwide become cleaner, the emissions gap is widening further in favor of EVs. Battery recycling technologies have also made major strides: more than 90% of lithium-ion battery material in Europe is now being recovered and reused, according to a 2025 EU report. Automakers like Tesla and Volkswagen are investing heavily in closed-loop recycling.

The numbers show EVs are a critical tool in slashing transport emissions, not a step backward for the environment. The belief that climate change is something our grandchildren need to worry about ignores the reality facing millions today. The World Meteorological Organization’s 2024 climate update documented a record spike in extreme weather events, with 2023’s Atlantic hurricane season producing an unprecedented five Category 5 storms. In Australia, wildfires burned almost 10 million hectares in just one summer, displacing thousands of people and destroying habitats. Floods in Pakistan and India in 2024 affected over 30 million people and caused more than $20 billion in damages, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. These events are increasingly linked to rising global temperatures and shifting climate patterns.

The effects of climate change are not a distant threat—they are already disrupting lives, economies, and supply chains around the world. As a leader in the transition to clean energy, we receive a lot of questions about the real threat that climate change poses. Here we debunk some of the most common incorrect, yet oft-repeated, climate change myths – to separate fact from fiction. It’s true that throughout earth’s 4.5-billion-year history, the climate has changed a lot. What is different is the dramatic and unprecedented scale of climate change. The rate of temperature rise is at least 10 times faster than that of the last mass extinction about 65 million years ago, when 95% of marine and 70% of land species were wiped...

The kind of changes that would previously have happened over hundreds of thousands of years are now happening in decades. NASA has compiled a scientifically evaluated and compelling list of evidence for rapid climate change.1 This includes: The scientific evidence that climate change is a real, present threat is undeniable. Weather and climate are not the same and a cold spell in winter is definitely not a valid reason to dismiss global warming. In fact, global warming is making all sorts of extreme weather events more likely and more severe, including more intense droughts, heatwaves and hurricanes but also, strangely, an increased potential for more severe cold... With the climate crisis becoming a hot topic in mainstream media - there's a lot of confusion around what climate change actually is and what's causing it.

That's why we've tried to clear up some of the most frequently heard myths, so that you can tell fiction from fact! Over the course of Earth’s 4.5-billion-year history, the climate has changed a lot, this is true. However, the rapid warming we’re seeing now can't be explained by natural cycles of warming and cooling. The kind of changes that would normally happen over hundreds of thousands of years are happening in decades. Global temperatures are now at their highest since records began. In fact, the 10 warmest years on Earth, since 1880, have occurred since 2014.[1] And just last year, in 2024, our world got hotter than ever before, temporarily going beyond the 1.5C climate threshold...

So, when people talk about climate change today, they mean anthropogenic (human-made) climate change. This is the warming of Earth’s average temperature as a result of human activity, such as burning coal, oil and gas to produce energy to fuel our homes and transport, and cutting down trees... You can read more about it here: How do we know climate change is real? Global warming is causing the Earth’s average surface temperature to rise which, in turn, is causing changes in our natural climate systems. These changes are making all sorts of extreme weather events more likely and more severe, including more intense droughts, heatwaves and hurricanes but also, strangely, an increased potential for more severe cold weather events. To learn more, watch the full video on Landscape TV.

The scientific consensus is clear: the climate crisis is real, and we are running out of time to prevent its worst effects. And yet, even as temperature records are broken and climate disasters multiply, fake news is as rife as ever. In fact, these disasters may be fueling denial on the internet. So, what can we do to battle this barrage of disinformation? From global cooling to the sun burning brighter, here are 10 of the most common climate change myths – and the truth behind each of them. The chart above shows average global temperatures between 1998 and 2012.

If we only look at this period in isolation, global warming appears to have stopped. AI chatbots have evolved from simple information tools to sophisticated digital assistants, enhancing human interactions in personal, professional, and educational contexts. Future chatbots promise hyper-personalization, emotional intelligence, proactive actions, and multimodality. They will redefine assistance, support creativity, ensure ethical standards, and potentially provide companionship, shaping our communication and collaboration with technology. The Scientific Revolution, spanning from the 16th to 18th centuries, marked a transformative era where established beliefs were challenged by the scientific method. Key figures like Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton made groundbreaking discoveries in astronomy, anatomy, and chemistry, reshaping our understanding of the universe and human existence through empirical observation and rational thought.

The modern world is shaped by historical inventions that remain integral to daily life. From nails, locks, and concrete to the calendar, alphabet, and plow, these innovations demonstrate the enduring power of human creativity. Each element, while seemingly simple, has significantly influenced society, emphasizing the importance of ancient contributions to contemporary existence. Nothing stirs up debate more than the issue of climate change. There are three schools of thought on this matter: 1) “It’s happening, and we better do something about it ASAP.”

2) “It’s not settled science so we should wait and see.” In other words, you have the believers, deniers, and those not really thinking all that much about it. Let’s stipulate for further reading that this post will take the “believer” approach (A.K.A. the convergence of evidence presented by science). If you’re looking for a way to join in on the conversation and want to take on the skeptics (global warming skeptics AKA deniers… not to be confused with those who practice scientific skepticism),... Here’s the big thing most people get tripped up on – the difference between climate and weather.

Weather is what’s happening outdoors today. It’s going to change tomorrow. Cold, hot, humid, snow, rain – those are all current potential weather conditions that taken as a whole create climate. In other words, climate is the average weather pattern based on years of collected data. So, what’s the climate trend based on current data? That would be warming.

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