Natural Rhythms

The Distortion

One of the most common themes among those who try to slow action on the crisis of climate change is to say that the planet has natural climate variations; they try to equate the man-made climate crisis with natural fluctuations in the past.

The Truth

This may have been a legitimate debate a couple decades ago, but no longer. Scientists have known for over a century that increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could trap heat, and now the science is clear and the consensus is overwhelming. The debate is over: the planet is warming, and it’s because of our actions.

Here’s the basic fact: carbon dioxide levels have fluctuated in the past from a low of 180 parts per million to a high of 300 ppm. We are already outside that natural range with 380 ppm, and we’re still climbing fast. Without strong action, we’ll put enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to completely overwhelm the planet’s climate mechanisms.