Teacher shuts down dangerous myth with a single TikTok video: 'Nothing is more terrifying to me'

For decades, people have debated the true cause of the changing climate and the impact human influence has had on the planet and mass extinctions. One science teacher has effectively debunked the misconception in a single clip on TikTok. 

In a viral video, TikToker Zeke Darwin (@zekedarwinscience) answered a commenter's question: "Is it coincidence or is there a relationship between 10,000 extinctions in the start of civilization?"

@zekedarwinscience Reply to @imnocat Climate & Civilization #sciencetok #ancient #civilization #learnontiktok #archaeology #climate #climatecrisis #genzforchange ♬ Don't Look Up - Main Title Theme - Nicholas Britell

In the video, Darwin shows a series of graphs depicting the Younger Dryas, a climate event from 12,900 to 11,700 years ago, and a pattern of similar events going back 800,000 years. He then points to a stabilization in the chart that generally coincides with the onset of agriculture.

Although 97% of the active scientific community agrees that polluting gases are the primary cause of the overheating planet, Darwin acknowledges that scientists know the climate is always changing on its own. However, human activity has disrupted natural climate patterns. "We understand it so well that we can see that what we have caused is not normal," he says.

Scientists say the next glacial period would be in about 10,000 years if it weren't for human-induced warming, as detailed by the University of California, Santa Barbara. 

If the Earth continues to warm, it can mean more severe weather, significant sea-level rise, and implications for ecosystem health and human societies. 

The climate crisis has led many to become part of the solution by learning about the problem and making wiser choices to mitigate pollution. Businesses have also integrated advanced technologies and practices to lower their footprint.

The Pioneer Farm program at the University of Wisconsin, Platteville, recently presented the GreenFeed machine to monitor microbial activity in cattle's digestive tracts and improve nutrition. Ultimately, the goal is to improve their health and reduce the impact of their belching. According to Earth.org, ruminant digestion (and belching) accounted for 27.4% of methane pollution related to human activities in the U.S. in 2022.

JetBlue has also invested in alternative fuels derived from agricultural waste and cooking oils, which could reduce pollution by 80% compared to conventional aviation fuel.

Darwin's video garnered a lot of attention from commentators. One user stated: "Nothing is more terrifying to me than these graphs lol."

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Another TikToker shared similar sentiments and commented: "I've never seen that graph before, and it's scary."

Sharing their response to claims that the changing climate is strictly a natural phenomenon, a third person said: "Sure, but humans slammed the accelerator to the floor."

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