Fact Check: Global warming trends study misrepresented, temperature is steadily increasing
Global warming trends study misrepresented, temperature is steadily increasing
Following the October 14, 2024 publication of Nature study, social media users began claiming it proved that global warming hasn't increased since the 1970s, suggesting this as evidence against climate change.
Fact Check:
The claim is misleading.
The concentrations of CO2, the primary driver of human-induced warming, have reached levels unprecedented in the past 14-16 million years. Six datasets from educational and governmental sources have documented this increase in global average temperatures.
Bärbel Hönisch from Columbia University noted that CO2 levels are rising at potentially the fastest rate in geological history, contributing significantly to the greenhouse effect.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) asserts that human activities have unequivocally warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land, with projections indicating that warming may exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius this century. Current climate models suggest that this increase will lead to significant impacts on temperatures and extreme heat events worldwide.
Claudie Beaulieu, an associate professor in the Ocean Sciences Department at the University of California Santa Cruz and the lead author of a recent study, confirmed that the research highlights a continuous increase in surface temperatures since the 1970s. She expressed concern over the misuse of their findings by climate change deniers, stating, "It is very worrying to hear that our paper is used by climate deniers to make false claims.", told AFP.
The study focuses on global mean surface temperature—a critical metric for monitoring climate change—and analyzes warming trends over the past 50 years. Through a series of models, the researchers examined whether there has been an acceleration or deceleration in warming rates. They found that any changes in warming rates post-1970s are not statistically significant.
Also, co-author Colin Gallagher, an associate professor at Clemson University, reiterated that the findings indicate sustained warming, asserting, "We found no statistical evidence of a slowdown in global warming but rather statistically confirm global warming occurring at a consistent rate since the 1970s."
Conclusion
The study does not claim that global warming has halted or decelerated; instead, it highlights a steady warming trend over recent decades, consistent with climate change models.