A dismissive social media commenter brought what they thought was a real whodunnit to renowned climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe's door.
"Hayhoe, Hayhoe, it's off to scam we go," they wrote. "What caused all the climate change before humans ever existed?"
Dr. Hayhoe responded in a video, taking the stab in stride, per usual.
"Have to love the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs reference," Dr. Hayhoe acknowledges before answering the dismissive comment. "When we see climate changing, we don't automatically jump on the human bandwagon immediately," she explains.
She details that instead, scientists examine all the natural factors that have caused our climate to change in the past and ask, "Could they be responsible today? And when we do that," Dr. Hayhoe says, "the answer is crystal clear."
She further explains that according to today's natural factors, the planet should be cooling down very slowly to eventually head into another ice age in the future. Instead, she points out that the world is warming faster than at any time in human history.
"There is no question, every natural factor has an alibi," she says. "It truly is us."
The burning of dirty energy sources like coal, oil, and gas — known as fossil fuels — for human use is the biggest contributor to rising global temperatures by a landslide (and on that note, landslides are increasing in the face of a chaotic climate, as reported by Inside Climate News).
The United Nations reports that these dirty energy sources account for more than 75% of global planet-warming pollution and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide pollution.
Warmer temperatures are changing weather patterns, leading to more extreme weather events and putting our health, our homes, and even our food supply at risk. Slowing the rate at which our planet is overheating is the best way to protect ourselves, our communities, and our environment.
Dr. Hayhoe says some of the most impactful actions individuals can take are to start a conversation about why climate change matters and what people can do, join a climate action group, or change where you keep your money.
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