University of Kwazulu-Natal

Fact Check Is Climate Change Real And Scientifically Proven

Bonisiwe Shabane
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fact check is climate change real and scientifically proven

There is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate. Human activity is the principal cause. Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 800,000 years, there have been eight cycles of ice ages and warmer periods, with the end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago marking the beginning of the... Most of these climate changes are attributed to very small variations in Earth’s orbit that change the amount of solar energy our planet receives. The current warming trend is different because it is clearly the result of human activities since the mid-1800s, and is proceeding at a rate not seen over many recent millennia.1 It is undeniable that...

This extra energy has warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land, and widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere have occurred. Earth-orbiting satellites and new technologies have helped scientists see the big picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate all over the world. These data, collected over many years, reveal the signs and patterns of a changing climate. Scientists demonstrated the heat-trapping nature of carbon dioxide and other gases in the mid-19th century.2 Many of the science instruments NASA uses to study our climate focus on how these gases affect the movement... From the measured impacts of increases in these gases, there is no question that increased greenhouse gas levels warm Earth in response. It starts with a whisper—rising seas nibbling away at coastlines, warmer winters replacing the cold snaps of old, forests catching fire in places that once stood serene and damp.

Somewhere, a polar bear drifts on a dwindling ice floe. Elsewhere, a farmer stares at the cracked, parched earth that once yielded life. And everywhere, people are asking: Is this real? Is it natural? Is it too late? Global warming.

For decades, those two words have hovered in the background of public discourse, growing louder with each passing year. Yet for every scientist shouting the alarm, there’s a social media post casting doubt. Climate change is real, they say. No, it’s a hoax. It’s human-caused. No, it’s natural.

The confusion is not surprising. When fear, politics, and profit collide, the truth often gets buried. But today, we dig it out. Not with shouting, but with clarity. Not with fear, but with facts. This is a journey through science and storytelling, separating myth from reality, to help you understand what global warming really is—and why the truth matters now more than ever.

The story of global warming is ancient, stretching back far before the Industrial Revolution. Our planet’s climate has never been static. It has swung from ice ages to tropical epochs over millions of years, driven by natural factors like volcanic activity, solar radiation, and changes in Earth’s orbit. But something different began in the late 18th century. Humanity discovered coal, then oil, then gas. We built engines, powered factories, lit up cities, and transformed the world.

And in doing so, we began to alter the chemistry of our atmosphere in ways nature never had. A Jan. 29 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows heat maps of the U.S. and makes a series of claims about climate and weather. "Global cooling was real from 1944 to 1982," reads text in the post. "Global warming was real from 1983 to 2006.

Since 2007, sea ice has been expanding at both poles. 2021 was the coldest winter ever recorded in Antarctica. The Earth goes through cycles which aren't caused by man." The post also states that January 1990 was warmer than 2025 and asks "a climate hoaxer" for an explanation. The post was shared more than 2,000 times in two weeks. More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

A study into global warming proves it is a hoax. False. The study detected no change in the rate of temperatures rises, but it found the globe has indeed been warming for decades. AAP FACTCHECK – A study in a prestigious scientific journal proves global warming is a hoax because it found that temperature rises have not surged, social media posts claim. The claim is false. The study found that the rate of global warming has not accelerated since the 1970s, but it did find that temperatures have been constantly increasing.

The claim is in a Facebook post sharing a screenshot of another social media post featuring a graph of temperatures from 1850 to the present day. Multiple social media posts continue to downplay or, in some cases, outright deny the existence of climate change despite overwhelming evidence supporting the scientific consensus it exists and is fueled by human activity. One Facebook post shared Jan. 25 went as far as calling the concept a "fraud." Nick Adams, a conservative pundit, shared a post featuring a photo of himself with text superimposed on the image assailing climate change. "Global warming is the most significant fraud perpetrated on humanity this century," Adams said in the text.

Adams included a caption with the photo that dismisses technology meant to combat climate change, saying, "no more windmills, no more solar panels and no more electric cars." World Environment Day encourages collective action to tackle the challenges that are facing the planet - with the focus in 2025 on plastic pollution. Another of those big challenges is climate change, which you have probably read about in stories ranging from reports of extreme weather to news about sea temperatures heating up. But as well as hearing the facts on this issue, you may have also come across some fake news about the topic. In fact, some people even call climate change itself ‘fake news’, even when it’s been proven to be real. Why does this happen?

Watch this TikTok from the BBC Verify team, who explain why climate change is real and define what global warming is. Is climate change real? Maybe you think climate change is a hoax. But the science couldn't be clearer. Global warming is happening and the way we live is making things worse. In the last 20 years, we’ve seen an unprecedented increase in extreme weather events.

How do we know this? The data proves it. Until 2005, there were less than 5 billion dollar weather events per year in the US. Now, the US averages 23 per year (NOAA). This is because human-caused climate change warms the air and oceans. Warmer air holds more moisture, and warmer oceans provide more energy—fueling the production of more frequent and intense weather extremes like tornados, tropical cyclones, heat waves, and polar vortex disruptions.

The past ten years 2015-2024 are the ten warmest years on record (WMO). That’s pretty unbelievable. Better believe it, though.

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There is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate. Human activity is the principal cause. Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 800,000 years, there have been eight cycles of ice ages and warmer periods, with the end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago marking the beginning of the... Most of these climate changes are attributed to very s...

This Extra Energy Has Warmed The Atmosphere, Ocean, And Land,

This extra energy has warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land, and widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere have occurred. Earth-orbiting satellites and new technologies have helped scientists see the big picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate all over the world. These data, collected over many years, reveal t...

Somewhere, A Polar Bear Drifts On A Dwindling Ice Floe.

Somewhere, a polar bear drifts on a dwindling ice floe. Elsewhere, a farmer stares at the cracked, parched earth that once yielded life. And everywhere, people are asking: Is this real? Is it natural? Is it too late? Global warming.

For Decades, Those Two Words Have Hovered In The Background

For decades, those two words have hovered in the background of public discourse, growing louder with each passing year. Yet for every scientist shouting the alarm, there’s a social media post casting doubt. Climate change is real, they say. No, it’s a hoax. It’s human-caused. No, it’s natural.

The Confusion Is Not Surprising. When Fear, Politics, And Profit

The confusion is not surprising. When fear, politics, and profit collide, the truth often gets buried. But today, we dig it out. Not with shouting, but with clarity. Not with fear, but with facts. This is a journey through science and storytelling, separating myth from reality, to help you understand what global warming really is—and why the truth matters now more than ever.