The Obscure Origins Of Today’s Climate Change Hysteria

In our contemporary era, the apprehension surrounding climate change has ascended to the forefront of global discourse. It has so thoroughly permeated our consciousness that it’s rare for a day to pass without climate change being spotlighted on the front page of major global media outlets. Nearly every phenomenon ranging from weather patterns, pollution levels, agricultural practices, construction activities, to even aspects of human psychology is now frequently linked to climate change. Remarkably, a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2021 highlighted that between 5 to 10 percent of adults without children are opting out of parenthood, citing climate change anxieties as a key reason. This paints a picture of a force so formidable and beyond human intervention, that it challenges our innate instincts to reproduce and thrive.

The Prevailing Climate Change Narrative

The conventional narrative regarding climate change posits that for centuries, if not millennia, Earth’s climate maintained a state of equilibrium. However, this balance began to shift around the 1850s with the onset of extensive hydrocarbon combustion, including coal, oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas, leading to a surge in atmospheric pollutants. Among these, carbon dioxide has been identified as a critical greenhouse gas, purportedly playing a pivotal role in global temperature regulation. According to this narrative, the key to Earth’s salvation lies in ceasing the emission of carbon dioxide resulting from human activities. Failing to do so within the next few decades is believed to spell catastrophic outcomes for humanity and render the planet uninhabitable.

It’s often proclaimed with great certainty that the scientific consensus on this matter is unanimous, and the evidence supporting these claims is beyond dispute. This perspective was vividly illustrated in an extensive feature by the New York Times in April 2021, titled “The Science of Climate Change Explained: Facts, Evidence and Proof (Definitive Answers to the Big Question),” which exclusively emphasized the anthropogenic causes of climate change while largely overlooking natural climatic influencers.

Let’s take a look at the intricacies of Earth’s climatic system, demonstrating that no single factor can solely account for or dictate the vast climatic variations our planet experiences. Moreover, it’s crucial to recognize that carbon dioxide, despite a notable increase in atmospheric concentration over the past 150 years, is not the sole determinant of Earth’s weather patterns. This exploration will also reveal that the scientific consensus on climate change is far from monolithic, and the science itself remains in a state of evolution and debate.

The Political Roots of the Climate Conversation

Embarking on this extensive topic, it’s essential to trace back to the political genesis of the climate change dialogue. In the early 1970s, an obscure think tank released a provocative book titled “The Limits to Growth” (LTG), published by The Club of Rome (CoR), which would go on to profoundly influence academia, policy circles, and political spheres alike.