The Biggest Myth About Climate Change (3)

limited specifically to one small area in northern Europe

are enough to pull the four-dimensional checkmate

on climate scientists, well, they're not.

Every single one of these factors, and a whole lot more,

is included in modern climate models.

And the only way to make those models match up

with the warming we're actually seeing

is by including human activities.

And when we do include human activities,

the net total of all the warming and cooling effects

that scientists know about, shows that Earth's energy budget

is way in the positive.

We're drowning in extra Peloton inventory here, people.

Only these Pelotons will make the planet unlivable

for your children and grandchildren.

We can do better!

Modern climate change is due mainly to human activity,

specifically our insatiable thirst

for putting extra greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

And there are ways that we can tell

that extra CO2 that's entered the atmosphere

since the Industrial Revolution came from fossil fuels,

and not volcanoes or whatever,

thanks to the ratios of different isotopes of carbon

in the atmosphere's CO2.

I covered exactly what that means,

and why it's the smoking gun for human-caused climate change

in this video up there,

but in many ways that's beside the point.

An extra debunking that would just feel like piling on now.

But you should go watch it.

Just not yet. I'm almost done.

The point is, this comment is so frustrating

because no serious person really wonders

whether climate change is happening,

or really even why it's happening.

According to researchers at Yale who track beliefs

and attitudes around climate change over time,

Americans who think global warming is happening

outnumber those who think it is not happening

by a ratio of six to one.

And more than half of Americans understand

that global warming is mostly human-caused.

Comments like this, if you ask me,

are really just a new type of climate denial,

designed to make you think,

"Hey, climate change has happened before!

It's been hot! It's been cold!

All these other times it happened, it wasn't our fault!

So there's no reason to worry or do anything!"

Except they always forget to mention one key thing.

Humans didn't exist during

basically all of those other times.

Well guess what, Neo. You do exist.

This is real. It's happening.

Don't let them trick you into accepting the status quo,

that as we sit down to drink our coffee

in the middle of a burning world,

that this is all somehow actually fine.

Because it isn't fine. And it isn't normal.

Because what they really want you to forget

is that if we are the cause of all this,

then we can be the solution too.

Don't you forget that.

I actually hope for the day when I or my grandchildren

can say, "Yeah, climate change actually is totally caused

by natural cycles," and have it be true,

because that will mean we did what we have to do,

and we fixed this.

Stay curious.

And just one more thing.

Wanna tell you about the newest show

we think you're gonna love in the PBS family

called "America Outdoors: Understory"

with Baratunde Thurston.

From episodes on surfing scientists combating climate change

to the scorched desolate beauty of death valley,

this show explores our passionate and complex relationship

with the natural world.

Check out the link in the description,

tell 'em that "Be Smart" sent you.

Oops, that was a good warmup. I wanna start over.

♪ Climate change would make it natural ♪

♪ Bing ♪

♪ File break ♪

- [Crew Member] Cut.

(Joe imitates clapper clicking)

Thanks.

- This is fun. You should just complain more.

Reinvent the show is a sassy complaining.