It has just been confirmed that 2019 was the second hottest year on record.

There is no doubt about that.

However, there is doubt that there is in fact climate change despite most of the media and most of the scientists claiming it is real.

Why is that?

US President Donald Trump thinks it is all a hoax. He is not alone. There is now a growing contingent of scientists and economists calling into question the climate change dogma, saying the temperature data show no clear recent warming and noting that the benefits of global warming, if it existed, might be greater than the costs.

Those who live in the American Midwest point out they still have snow and ice in the winter. As the weathers they witnessed stay the same, they assume that climate change can’t exist because it would otherwise change their experiences. Those who believe in climate change point out the seasons did change in recent years. Those living in the American Midwest may notice winters are a little milder and summer starts earlier and feels hotter and more humid.

Notice the little word “may”.

I can honestly tell you that since I came to these Islands 38 years ago to live it is hotter now than then. Even taking into account back then not all the places I dwelt were air conditioned.

There is plenty of scientific evidence around that proves our planet is warming up and has occurred because of human intervention such as pollution. There is also other scientists who reject this and say it us that has caused it.

What isn’t in doubt is we humans have damaged our planet, with fallout from nuclear bombs now written into the rocks beneath our feet, and species facing extinction at 1,000 times the usual rate.

No one can argue with that. Sea levels are rising. Perhaps our Premier is right. We should allow Dart to build his 60 plus feet iconic tower (change that to towerS!)

Would these towers stand up, though, to the ever increasing number of catastrophic hurricanes?

There are many of us who acknowledge there are natural cycles for all of this increase in heat.

The problem with this one now is, it is different. Professor Mike Rogerson, senior lecturer in Earth system science at the University of Hull says, “The changes in the last 40 years are too big, and too fast. In fact, the most powerful cycles we know about are slowly pushing us towards a colder climate.

“Another problem with natural cycles is that people look at too small a sample size,” says Mike. “A cold winter in the USA doesn’t disprove climate change. Did you check to see how hot it was in Asia at the same time? We need to look globally and for longer than the last couple years we remember.”

The claim there is evidence that bad, life will find a way out. Plant life and animals move on.

Yes, that was true. They all could move on. Now they, and us, cannot. The population has increased and we have urbanised so much of the environment, there’s simply no where to go and no route to get there.

The real evidence regarding scientists being evenly split is a myth conjured up by us in the media. As Professor Rogerson rightly says, “in an effort to seem unbiased, (we) often line up one climate scientist against one denier to debate their point. But that doesn’t mean that the scientific community is split 50/50 on climate change. Actually it’s more like 97/3.”

Can you guess which way?