Climate Change Myths Part 1: Polar Bears, Arctic Ice, and Food Shortages

Summary

In this video, John Stossel begins a series on debunking climate change myths. He highlights sensational claims about the Arctic ice melting, polar bears going extinct, and looming food shortages, all often propagated by the media and environmental groups. The video argues that although some sea ice has melted, the overall Arctic ice remains largely stable, and polar bear populations are actually increasing. Furthermore, agricultural output has reached new heights, countering the narrative of global food scarcity. Stossel suggests that many of these alarming warnings are based on selective interpretations of data to create sensational headlines rather than reflecting the entire truth.

Highlights

• The world isn't facing the catastrophic demise of polar ice as often claimed. 🌐
• Polar bear numbers have risen despite the alarming extinction narrative. 🐾
• Food output globally continues to set records, debunking myth of looming scarcity. 🌾
• Sensational media portrayals often ignore the full context of climate data. 📊
• Many 'climate crisis' narratives involve some level of misconception or exaggeration. 🌡

Key Takeaways

• The sensational claims about Arctic ice melting are greatly exaggerated 🌊.
• Polar bear populations are not declining; they are increasing 🐻.
• Global food production is at an all-time high despite climate change claims 🍏.
• Media and activists tend to select extreme scenarios for headlines 📰.
• Many supposed climate crises are often influenced by data misinterpretation or external factors 🌍.

Overview

John Stossel kicks off his video series by tackling prominent climate change myths, aiming to separate truth from widely held misconceptions. He starts by addressing the notion that Arctic ice is disappearing at unprecedented rates. Despite seasonal melts, the overall ice levels remain stable, contradicting many doomsday predictions.

The plight of polar bears is another misunderstood phenomenon Stossel covers. Contrary to the claims of looming extinction, the polar bear population is actually on the rise. Many environmental groups continue to exploit the fear of their demise to garner support, often using outlier images of sick polar bears to mislead public perception.

On the subject of food scarcity, Stossel points out that agricultural production has consistently been breaking records. Increased levels of CO2 have actually benefited plant growth, contradicting claims of widespread food shortages due to climate change. Critics often neglect to consider complex factors like governance issues impacting local food supplies.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Climate Change Myths The chapter 'Introduction to Climate Change Myths' explores common misconceptions and exaggerated rhetoric around climate change. It highlights the transition in public discourse from 'global warming' to 'global boiling,' and addresses the fear-mongering narratives suggesting the immediate doom of the planet. The chapter also points out the consensus among scientists about climate warming while acknowledging that not every aspect of climate change is uniformly agreed upon. The discussion emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between scientifically-backed facts and exaggerated claims, encouraging readers to critically evaluate the information about climate change.
• 00:30 - 04:00: Myth 1: Arctic Ice Melting The chapter challenges the alarming claims made by activists and media about the melting of Arctic ice. It mentions that scientists are divided on these catastrophic assertions. The melting icebergs and coral dying are highlighted as indicators of a larger issue. The content suggests that if the current rate of global warming persists, the Arctic might soon be devoid of ice. This chapter is part of a series that seeks to debunk seven myths about climate change.
• 04:00 - 06:00: Myth 2: Polar Bears Extinction The chapter titled 'Myth 2: Polar Bears Extinction' addresses a common myth about the Arctic region and the potential extinction of polar bears. It discusses the misconception that the Arctic will become ice-free by the summer of 2030, highlighting that this is not necessarily an immediate reality, as the timeline falls under a myth rather than a certainty. The chapter also touches upon critical factors affecting the ice levels in the Arctic, like the melting of glaciers, specifically referencing the Greenland ice sheet, which holds the potential to significantly raise sea levels by 7 meters or 22 feet if entirely lost. Such a rise in sea levels could have catastrophic consequences, including the possibility of leaving major cities like London underwater during storm surges. This analysis helps to critically evaluate the proclaimed urgency and doom often associated with the decline of polar bear habitats due to climate change.
• 06:00 - 07:30: Myth 3: Food Shortages Due to Climate Change The chapter addresses the claim of food shortages due to climate change, focusing on the melting of ice in polar regions. It references a BBC documentary suggesting potential catastrophic ice melt within the century, but counters that the current rate of ice melt is not as severe as anticipated. Heartland Research Fellow Lana Lukan is cited, stating that Arctic sea ice studies do not indicate a catastrophic decline; in fact, ice levels have stabilized compared to previous years.
• 07:30 - 09:30: Media Misinformation on Climate Change The chapter discusses the portrayal of climate change in the media, particularly focusing on the alarming images of melting ice and walruses stranded on beaches instead of icebergs. It explains that these images are taken during the summer when ice naturally recedes, but it returns come winter. It also highlights that in the past 20 years, the sea ice has largely remained stable. The chapter stresses the difference between sea ice, which floats on water and the total Arctic ice that is mostly on land.
• 09:30 - 10:00: Closing Remarks The chapter titled 'Closing Remarks' emphasizes the minimal impact of certain declines in Arctic ice. It argues that the decrease in ice is so negligible—akin to a grain of sand on a beach—that it barely registers on trend lines. The discussion critiques media interviews with experts predicting an ice-free Arctic by mid-century, suggesting such claims are exaggerated.

Climate Change Myths Part 1: Polar Bears, Arctic Ice, and Food Shortages Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 the era of global warming has ended the era of global boiling has arrived global boiling the world's doomed i'm told we're in the sixth mass extinction right now i only wish someone could have warned us about this apart from every scientist for the last 50 years every scientist agrees but here's the thing they don't well yes they agree that the climate's warming climate
• 00:30 - 01:00 changes but scientists don't agree on the catastrophic claims activists and the media make icebergs are melting the corre are dying and no one is helping if we don't stop the sea level rising millions of people will be in danger in this video and the next we'll look at seven myths about climate change starting with the great polar ice sheets which are melting faster than many scientists had anticipated if global warming continues at the present rate then the Arctic could already be ice
• 01:00 - 01:30 free by the summer of 2030 that's myth one the Arctic will soon be ice free we don't have decades we hardly have years these glaciers are on the brink some already past the point of no return if the entire Greenland sheep was lost sea levels would increase by 7 m that's 22 feet at just 6 feet one storm surge could leave London underwater says
• 01:30 - 02:00 this BBC documentary this could happen this century they say but is the ice really melting that fast no as we exit ice ages you should expect some ice melt but it's not happening at nearly the catastrophic pace that they claim heartland research fellow Lana Lukan researches environmental threats she points out that studies in Arctic sea ice don't show a catastrophic decline although ice has melted it's really leveled off in recent years a lot of the
• 02:00 - 02:30 time when you are looking at these um very alarming images it seems like where did all the ice go there's no ice there's all these walruses laying out on a stony beach they should be on big icebergs well it's because it's the summertime and in the winter it all comes right back to where it was before all of it in recent years yeah all of it for the past 20 years it's been largely stable and anyway this is just sea ice ice in the water not the total amount of ice in the Arctic almost all the Arctic's ice is on land and this is the
• 02:30 - 03:00 trend line for that ice you can barely see any decline compared to the amount of ice that's in the Arctic it is like a grain of sand on the beach it is so minuscule compared to the amount of ice that's there that it doesn't even show up on a trend chart when you plot it it's so frustrating media keep interviewing experts who claim we still see an ice-free Arctic by the middle of
• 03:00 - 03:30 the century zealots have predicted doom for years there is a 75% chance that the entire North Pole ice cap during some of the summer months could be completely ice free within the next 5 to 7 years well those years have long passed nobody calls him on it they absolutely should be calling him on it a lot of these kinds of claims are based on what computer models are projecting and they
• 03:30 - 04:00 pick the ones that are alarmist oh absolutely well those are the ones that generate headlines right here's another myth that generates headlines arctic polar bears are facing near extinction by the end of the century imagine your family disappearing it's happening to polar bears right now that's myth two polar bears are going extinct this is the worst one and polar bears have increased their populations environmental groups ignore that increase to sucker you into giving them
• 04:00 - 04:30 more of your money don't give up on polar bears don't give up on threatened species your support can help environmental defense funds save the polar bears these environmental groups are really being sleazy absolutely because the data is right there it's not hard to find out that polar bears are fine finding some sick polar bear out there to take a picture of does not indicate the health of the species so polar bears aren't going extinct but I'm told we might the UN is warning of mass
• 04:30 - 05:00 extinctions and food shortages within this century if global warming continues climate change could create a massive global food shortage that's myth three our changing climate is already making it more difficult to produce food there is no claim less true agricultural output keeps setting record highs food production has skyrocketed even amid the modest warming of the past 100 plus years extra carbon dioxide is good for
• 05:00 - 05:30 food production well we inject CO2 into green houses for a reason it's because it helps to fertilize plants for faster and better growth and NASA data show that the Earth has significantly greened over the past couple of decades and that NASA even attributes to increased carbon dioxide fertilization as the climate has warmed the world experienced the biggest drop in hunger and malnutrition ever but climate activists don't tell people that
• 05:30 - 06:00 the United Nations says Madagascar is on the verge of experiencing the world's first climate crisis famine climate crisis famine no madagascar's problems are mostly caused by bad governance corruption cronyism not climate change but whenever there's a food shortage or even when prices rise the media blame climate change food shortages driven by the effects of climate change we're going to see starvation and famine on multiple continents at the same time
• 06:00 - 06:30 when coffee prices rose the New York Times blamed devastation that climate change wrought but since the 1990s global coffee production has increased by 82% the Times focused on a brief decline in Honduras but even there coffee production since 1990 is up more than 200% it does not mean that there is a long-term climate issue if you have one bad year but the New York Times acts like it does it absolutely does not and and they get egg on their face when you
• 06:30 - 07:00 look at the historic data and you see they've been setting records for coffee production but they never apologize they never say "Oh we got this wrong." No and even if they did have a retraction the damage is already done the false report already went out alarmist media and environmental groups never apologize they keep predicting doom and when they're wrong they just move on to the next scare like this one it's climate change creating infernos larger than ever that's just not true my next video
• 07:00 - 07:30 will cover that and three more myths about our warming planet thanks for watching to make sure you get that next video subscribe and hit that notification bell [Music]