There’s no scientific consensus that humanity is doomed

By David Von Drehle,

We scoff at the ignorance of our elders who searched comets for portents of The End. But how different are we? Isn’t it possible that our era will prove to have been too charmed by worst-case, end-of-the-world climate change predictions?

Here is a classic case of partial science feeding apocalyptic visions. Science has explained the problem: Certain gases in the atmosphere trap heat at the Earth’s surface. More of those gases in the atmosphere will trap more heat, unleashing a cascade of unpredictable effects. As always with science, the unlocked knowledge reveals more mysteries to be plumbed. How will Earth’s complex climate react, and how quickly? And how will Earth’s most creative and adaptable species, human beings, react to shape the outcome?

The challenge of climate change demands an urgent response but not an apocalyptic one. For example: It has become common in certain circles for people to say they won’t have children because of the impending hellscape of drought, fire, flood and tempest that will ruin future lives. How common? A celebrity member of Congress gave an endorsement. “Basically, there’s a scientific consensus that the lives of children are going to be very difficult,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). She added: “And it does lead, I think, young people to have a legitimate question: Is it okay to still have children?”

This is not the language of science. That gloomy “consensus” has no scientific claim.

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