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"Scientists changed the name from 'global warming' to 'climate change' because they know it isn't really warming"





Brief Responses to Climate Change Denialism Statements

CPSG 200 Science & Global Change Sophomore Colloquium

"Scientists changed the name from 'global warming' to 'climate change' because they know it isn't really warming"

"Global warming" refers to the increasing temperature trend across the Earth since the early 20th century, and notably since the 1970s, due to the increase in fossil fuel emissions. The term climate change encompasses the warming of the climate on a global scale as well as other "long-term climatic effects". Examples of additional climate change include the increase of extreme weather events, ocean acidification, and sea level rise.

Examples of additional climate change include the increase of extreme weather events, ocean acidification, and sea level rise. Scientists did not "change" the name, they are using it interchangeably because the terms are closely related. Global warming causes the majority of problems under climate change; scientists acknowledge that both have been happening simultaneously. The usage of the term "climate change" is not new. For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was founded in 1988, with the "CC" referring to climate change, and not global warming.

Skeptics argue that the Earth is not actually warming, but is in fact getting cooler because they cherry pick data. They would say that since today was colder than yesterday, that global warming is not real. A counter argument that is just as absurd would be saying that the Earth is not cooling because Spring comes after Winter. Scientists have in fact proven that the globe is really warming-the past 16 years have been the hottest years in the past century.


For More Information:

Darling S. and Sisterson D. 2014. How to Change Minds about Our Changing Climate. The Experiment, LLC; New York, New York. 119-120 pp.

Wayne, G. 8 January, 2017. "Global warming vs. climate change". SkepticalScience. Accessed 16 October 2017.


Contributed by: Erin Lee, Fiza Zahid, Kelly Zhang

Last modified: 25 October 2017