Last week upon reading “the climate change lie’ and the misinformation in it, it felt necessary to show the facts. The claim that 97 percent of scientists agreeing that humans have caused climate change is correct it is not 1/3 of 97 percent, which does not make sense. Humans have caused irreparable damage to the environment through carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gasses.

The argument used in the article is that one flawed paper, which is not used for evidence, proves that climate change is a hoax. During the industrial age from the late 1800’s through World War II, many began obtaining sicknesses and diseases, which would be attributed to the polluted air. As factories, the coal industry, and business began to boom, the Earth began to show signs of damage. Not until 1970 was the science conclusive in proving that humans have damaged the environment. Republican President Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

One has to simply go outside, visit Los Angeles, Mexico City, or other large cities to visibly see pollution caused by cars, factories, pesticides, farming and other industrial means. Thick smog, respiratory disease, and environmental change are evident. Many scientists and laymen have noticed a change in weather patterns. We have stronger hurricanes, extreme snowstorms, and most notably a temperature increase of the Earth leading to melting ice caps and rising ocean levels. The 21^st century has seen a new phenomenon of ‘climate refugees,’ people having to leave their homeland because the rising water threatens to literally erase the existence of their islands. Southeast Asia had seen some of the most notable effects of this. However, erosion in Alaska, and a Native American tribe in Louisiana has caused Americans to feel the effects of this.

Perhaps the most obvious reason for climate change denying, exclusively from republicans, is big oil. Big oil fears that if the public is aware of climate change effects, their industry will cease to exist. This has led to the oil companies and their constituents funneling money into campaigns and congress to ensure their interests. Fossil fuels have caused the bulk of pollution. Trump would like to dismantle the EPA, continue with the Keystone Pipeline and the Dakota Access Pipeline, and revamp the coal industry. Scientists predict if we continue on the current track, the may be inhabitable in 100 years. However, if Trump has his way, it may be much sooner.

There is a contradictory line near the end of ‘the climate change lie,’ “Liberally apply some common sense to an open mind. The beauty of science is that skepticism is built right in, and there is no such thing as a final answer.” Common sense would be to look outside, the air is not clean, the weather is changing, and one can see exhaust from factories and oilrigs going into the air. Science is the final answer when it is supported by undisputed fact.

The closing line was even more contradictory, “Remember when everyone believed the earth was flat? No? Well, that is because a few nuts with an unpopular opinion refused to back down from the ‘consensus.’” In reality, those who believe the Earth was round and were backed up by science while an uninformed or politically motivated theocratic society who denied the truth and had the consensus. It also may have had to do with the fact the church would kill those in opposition. History seems to be repeating itself.

Climate change is real. This is not disputable. If nothing is done to change our ways, or a regression occurs, we will destroy our planet and all the beauty within it. We must find alternatives to fossil fuels and inform the public so we can save the Earth from eminent demise.