University of Kwazulu-Natal

Reliable Sources For Climate Information Why They Matter And What They

Bonisiwe Shabane
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reliable sources for climate information why they matter and what they

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time – but how we talk about it, learn about it, and trust what we hear is just as crucial as the issue... We live in what many call a "post-truth" era – a sociopolitical climate in which objective facts often take a backseat to emotion and personal belief. In this environment, misinformation about climate change can spread rapidly, blurring the line between fact and fiction. Fake news can even mimic legitimate science, making it hard for people to tell real evidence from pseudo-science. The result is an erosion of public trust in scientific expertise. When it comes to climate change, information quality directly influences public trust – and that trust, in turn, shapes whether communities take action or fall prey to confusion and doubt.

Misinformation and disinformation on climate issues don’t just muddy the water; they actively undermine efforts to address the crisis. False or misleading claims about climate science can sow doubt where there should be none, delaying policy responses and polarizing public debate. In fact, a recent global risk report ranked the spread of misinformation alongside climate change itself as one of the greatest risks to society. In a world overflowing with data, accurate climate information has become a foundation for public trust and effective action. This essay will explore why getting the facts right on climate change is so important – from understanding our planet’s limits and the impacts of global warming, to the advances in climate science that... We will also look at how reliable information empowers people and communities to respond to climate change, and how nurturing trust in science can help cut through the noise of the post-truth age.

One way scientists convey the urgency of accurate climate information is through the concept of planetary boundaries. This idea presents nine critical Earth system processes – like climate change, biodiversity, and ocean health – that together define a “safe operating space” for humanity. If human activities push beyond these boundaries, we risk triggering large-scale, potentially irreversible changes in the Earth’s environment. Climate change is one of these key boundaries. In fact, experts have updated the planetary boundaries analysis in 2023 and concluded that six of the nine boundaries have already been transgressed – and the climate change boundary is one of them. In simpler terms, we are pushing the Earth beyond conditions that have sustained human civilization for millennia.

Why does this matter for the general public? Because it highlights that our planet has limits. Crossing these limits carries serious risks. Scientists warn that breaching planetary boundaries increases the chance of “large-scale abrupt or irreversible environmental changes,” meaning things like runaway warming or ecosystem collapse become more likely. These changes might not happen overnight, but each boundary we cross raises the odds of severe impacts on people and the natural systems we depend on. For example, exceeding the climate boundary (by accumulating too much greenhouse gas in the atmosphere) is already driving more extreme weather and shifting climate patterns worldwide.

Other breached boundaries, like biodiversity loss or deforestation, can reduce nature’s resilience, making climate impacts even worse. Accurate information about planetary boundaries and our status relative to them is crucial. It tells us how close to the edge we truly are. It also reinforces an important point: all these Earth systems are interconnected. The science shows that if we solve one problem in isolation (say, climate warming) but ignore others (like land degradation or pollution), we may not succeed. Understanding planetary boundaries through reliable data can thus guide better policy – encouraging a holistic approach to sustainability.

When the public is well-informed about these limits, they are more likely to appreciate the scale of changes needed and to trust scientists’ warnings about crossing dangerous thresholds. In a post-truth milieu, clearly communicated science on planetary boundaries serves as a beacon of truth – grounding discussions in measurable reality, and helping counter the false narrative that “everything is fine” or that... In short, it sets the stage for why we must take climate change (and other environmental issues) seriously, and it underscores why trustworthy scientific information is our best tool for charting a safe path... Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing our planet today. With rising temperatures, melting ice caps, and extreme weather events becoming more frequent, it is more important than ever to stay informed about the latest developments in climate science. However, with so much misinformation and conflicting opinions out there, it can be difficult to know who to trust for reliable information.

That’s why it’s essential to turn to sources that are backed by scientific research and expertise. In this article, we will explore five climate change resources that provide accurate and up-to-date information directly from scientists. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body for assessing the science of climate change. Established by the United Nations in 1988, the IPCC brings together hundreds of scientists from around the world to review and assess the latest research on climate change. The IPCC’s reports are considered the most authoritative and comprehensive assessments of climate change available, and are widely used by policymakers, researchers, and the public. The IPCC’s reports cover a wide range of topics, including the physical science of climate change, impacts on ecosystems and human societies, and options for mitigating and adapting to climate change.

The reports are rigorously peer-reviewed and undergo a thorough review process by governments and experts before being published. This ensures that the information presented is accurate, reliable, and up-to-date. The IPCC’s website (https://www.ipcc.ch/) provides access to all of its reports, summaries for policymakers, and other publications. The website also features news and events, as well as information on the IPCC’s structure and processes. For anyone looking for reliable information on climate change directly from scientists, the IPCC is an essential resource. Another valuable resource for reliable information on climate change is NASA’s Climate Change website (https://climate.nasa.gov/).

NASA’s Earth Science Division conducts cutting-edge research on climate change, using a combination of satellite observations, computer models, and field measurements to understand how the Earth’s climate is changing and why. The Climate Change website provides access to a wealth of information on a wide range of topics, including the causes of climate change, its impacts on the Earth’s systems, and solutions for addressing it. There is a lot of competing and conflicting information out there about the environment and climate change. To help you navigate this, below we at Humanist Climate Action highlight ten reliable sources of information from the scientific community. When assessing whether a source is reliable, you should look to see if it has been ‘peer reviewed.’ This means that other scientists have investigated the information and have checked the results. Normally to be published in a major scientific journal, conference, or to receive funding, scientists must submit their work to rigorous peer reviews.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)This is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. Most UN member countries are also members of the IPCC, but it is independent of any government and is neutral on policy matters. The IPCC reviews scientific papers from all over the world to produce its Assessment Reports. These reports provide a comprehensive picture of the state of scientific, technical, and socio-economic knowledge on climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for reducing the rate at which climate change is... It also produces Special Reports on topics agreed to by its member governments. NASA Global Climate ChangeThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the US Federal Government.

Its Global Climate Change programme conducts breakthrough research on climate science, enhancing the ability of the international scientific community to advance its understanding of climate change. Its decades of research and observations of the Earth provides comprehensive data on the effects of climate change. World Health Organisation’s Climate and Health ForumThe World Health Organisation Climate and Human Forum provides information on climate change and how it affects humans directly, with case studies of its projects to mitigate these... World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)WMO is a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN) which investigates the state of the Earth’s atmosphere, land, oceans, climate, and water resources. It provides a wealth of resources and information including its State of the Climate reports. Leading International Bodies | Leading U.S.

Agencies | Select U.S. Regional, State & City Agencies & Initiatives | Select Environmental Groups | Select Academic Research Centers & Think Tanks United Nations | Climate The 193-member state organization conducts its climate work primarily through various agencies (see below) and via legal instruments including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto... Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change The IPCC is the United Nations body charged with assessing the science related to climate change. It was set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and United Nations Environment Programme to provide policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks,... Its reports, including its Sixth Assessment Report, are essential working documents in the climate field.

United Nations Environment Programme | Climate Change Within the United Nations, UNEP sets the global environmental agenda and promotes the implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system. Among its climate change resources are a 2023 emissions gap report, a 2023 adaptation gap report and a 2023 production gap report. It also has a sectoral solutions interactive, a roadmap for reaching the 1.5C goal with six key sectors (energy, industry, agriculture and food, forests and land use, and transport). World Meteorological Organization | Climate A specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate) and more, WMO helps its member nations monitor the Earth’s climate on a global scale to help... It provides extensive climate monitoring information, including annual reports, seasonal climate updates and regional outlooks. BUILDING YOUR OWN CLIMATE LITERACY IS CRITICAL TO SUPPORTING STUDENTS.

There are now countless “resources” online, but just clicking around on what appears interesting is a big time sink, and what you find may not be accurate, or worse, send you down endless rabbit... A more efficient way to learn is to do targeted reading—and to do this you’ll need trustworthy sources of new information and data. This page is not to find information on a particular idea or event (these can be found in the updates to the book chapters pages), but rather the links here allow you to access... You can use these to broaden your knowledge or to shape curriculum. Bear in mind however, you will never feel like you know enough or that your understanding is up to date. Climate.

Justice. Solutions. Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Our goal is to use the power of storytelling to illuminate the way toward a better world, inspire millions of people to walk that path with us, and show that the time for action... See also their Imagine 2200 climate fiction short story contest. A Climate Primer.

Need a basic primer to get acquainted with the science? One of the best out there is by Dr. Kerry Emanuel. It is more on the geo-physical aspects, less on the biology impacts, but still quite readable and written by a leading climate scientist. The Earth’s climate is changing, and it is projected to continue changing over the next century. The magnitude of climate change beyond the next few decades will depend primarily on the amount of greenhouse (heat-trapping) gases emitted globally and on the remaining uncertainty about the Earth’s climate's sensitivity to those...

With significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the global annual average temperature rise could be limited to 2°C or less. However, without major reductions in these emissions, the increase in annual average global temperatures relative to preindustrial times could reach 5°C or more by the end of this century. The global climate continues to change rapidly compared to the pace of natural climate variations throughout Earth’s history. Trends in globally averaged temperature, sea level rise, upper-ocean heat content, land-based ice melt, arctic sea ice, depth of seasonal permafrost thaw, and other climate variables provide consistent evidence of a warming planet. These observed trends are robust and confirmed by multiple independent research groups worldwide. Figure 1 shows global average temperature anomalies; since the 1880s, the global average temperature has warmed approximately 1°C.

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