Our president regularly denies scientific evidence, which shows not only that climate change is happening but also that human beings are the cause, saying that people with high intelligences like himself do not see the evidence.
Trump is not alone, as of 2015, 56 percent of Republicans in Congress have denied human responsibility for climate change, according to thinkprogress.org. There is a public controversy over whether climate change is real, turning factual, scientific research into nothing more than politics, because, quite frankly, there is no denying that climate change is real.
A large portion of the debate has to do with whether human actions contribute to climate change. Many argue that the melting ice caps and increase in temperatures are nothing more than natural or cyclical changes in weather. Others argue that the science behind it is far too uncertain.
However, the scientific consensus on climate change states that the climate on Earth is affected by greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans, according to scientific research conducted by sciencemag.org. Several scientific outlets have all come to similar conclusions regarding greenhouse gas emissions and human’s role.
Their conclusion states that humans are causing the rise in temperature all over the globe, and that the problem remains not only serious, but in dire need of major reform. With no reform, we are looking at an expected increase in temperature degree that could lead to droughts, extreme heat waves and a massive increase in poverty.
Our president not only denied the existence of climate change as a whole, but he even denied a warning from his own administration’s caution of a horrible further impact in response. Many politicians refuse to acknowledge the critical need for regulation in the area of climate change, due to their siding with massive corporations, such as that of the oil and energy companies.
Climate change reform would mean corporations would have to shell out more money to not only change standards, but possibly risk losing business entirely should we ever move into only clean, renewable energy.
The scientific consensus on climate change has been determined through the research of 18 different scientific associations consisting of groups like the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society, among several others.
With that being said, the consensus was agreed upon not by politicians, or random everyday people. The consensus was agreed upon by legitimate scientific research, factual evidence and based upon scientific claims. There is no room for denial when it comes to scientific facts.
Climate change should have never been considered a political stance. Climate change is scientific research, and it always has been. We need to stop allowing political motives to rule over whether or not we save the planet, our only home available.
Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.