Myths about Climate Change
It's too late to tackle climate change - we're all doomed!
The climate has definitely changed because of humans and there is nothing we can do about it - These damaging changes cannot be reversed (bad times!)
… BUT…
We do have the chance to act now to reduce the risk of bigger changes to come (good times!)
We can work together to reduce the impact of climate change in the future, our future.
The last report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicated that, if we could get greenhouse gas emissions to peak and then decline within the next 10–20 years, the risk of seeing temperature changes higher than 2° C would be greatly reduced.
This is an enormous challenge – but it can be done which is why our goal this generation needs to be to tackle climate change.
What difference will one person make to such a global problem?
We can all play our part in reducing the risk. Every little action amounts, wherever it takes place. One of the most important things about personally rising to the climate challenge is that you will be setting a good example to others, starting a fashion even! If it’s going to be fashionable for Britain to get tough on climate change, it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world follows suit. Set a positive example!
Tackling climate change means I'll have to make big changes to my lifestyle
To a certain extent we are going to have to make changes, especially in how we use and make energy. Everyone is going to have to adapt -including industry, communities, businesses, governments and individuals, everyone. Fossil fuels will eventually start running out so we will have to make this transition sooner or later.
Climate change in the UK means hotter summers and a good tan - it'll be great!
If climate change has its way then yes we will have warmer weather in the UK, but it may also be less predictable, more extreme weather, with warmer, wetter winters too.
Summer 2003 saw the hottest day ever recorded in the UK and there was a European heatwave that caused fires, droughts and many thousands of people to die.
The UK government's chief scientific adviser, Sir David King, said that the 2003 heatwave was "the biggest natural disaster in Europe on record. Thirty-two thousand fatalities makes it an enormous natural disaster."
Cutting emissions is expensive and our economy will suffer
It’s really easy to make small changes to our lifestyles.
Our governments and industries do need to make investments into efficiency and conservation but in turn they’ll save a lot of money on fuel and overheads. If we don’t all act on climate change quickly the cost to the economy will be even greater. The insurance industry is in a bit of a tizz because weather related claims have been urm…. flooding in. The bottom line is, pay up now and prevent much bigger and more costly disasters happening in the future.
