But as author and environmentalist Michael Shellenberger points out in his recent talk “7 Lies We Were Told About Climate Change,” the evidence simply doesn’t match the hysteria. What was once a scientific issue has become a moral crusade — and now, cracks are appearing in the facade.
Shellenberger’s seven points dismantle the pillars of the climate catastrophe narrative.
1. “Climate change is making disasters worse.”
The claim: floods, hurricanes, and wildfires are becoming more frequent and more deadly.
The reality: while media coverage has exploded, actual data show no upward trend in climate-related deaths. In fact, deaths from natural disasters have fallen by over 90% in the past century.
Yes, damage costs rise — but mostly because there’s more infrastructure and wealth in harm’s way, not because storms are more violent.
2. “Sea levels are rising dangerously.”
Sea levels have been rising steadily since the end of the last ice age — roughly 20 cm per century — with no measurable acceleration in recent decades.
The much-publicized satellite data are inconsistent with tide gauge records, and the frightening “multi-meter rise” scenarios depend entirely on speculative computer models.
No major city is currently sinking beneath the waves — not Miami, not Venice, not Sydney.
3. “Polar bears are dying out.”
The opposite is true. Polar bear numbers have increased fivefold since the 1960s, from about 5,000 to 25,000–30,000.
Even as Arctic ice fluctuates, the species has adapted. Ironically, the polar bear has become a symbol of environmental collapse even while thriving.
4. “The Great Barrier Reef is dying.”
This myth persists despite hard evidence to the contrary.
The Australian Institute of Marine Science reported that coral cover is now at record highs across much of the reef.
Yes, coral bleaching events occur, but reefs recover naturally — they’ve survived ice ages, warm periods, and volcanic eruptions. What truly threatens them is pollution and overfishing, not CO₂.
5. “Fires are getting worse.”
Global wildfire activity has actually declined by around 25% over the past two decades, according to NASA satellite data.
Yes, we see horrific fires in California and Australia — but these are largely due to poor forest management and fuel buildup, not climate change.
When we stopped controlled burning and let forests choke with tinder, we built the conditions for disaster.
6. “Renewables can replace fossil fuels.”
This comforting illusion has been shattered by physics.
Solar and wind are intermittent and require massive backup from fossil fuels or nuclear power. They also demand enormous land use and rare minerals — often mined in poor countries under appalling conditions.
Europe’s energy crisis exposed this fantasy: when the wind stops blowing, reality bites.
7. “The science is settled.”
It isn’t — and never was.
Science doesn’t “settle.” It questions, revises, and evolves.
But today’s climate orthodoxy treats dissent as heresy. Even credible scientists who challenge alarmist claims are smeared or deplatformed.
As Shellenberger notes, what we face is not a scientific consensus, but an ideological conformity — a quasi-religious belief system that equates carbon with sin.
A Narrative Unraveling
Shellenberger’s critique is not about denying climate change. It’s about rejecting the apocalyptic exaggeration that has hijacked environmentalism. We can acknowledge that humans influence the climate — without surrendering to fear or authoritarian “solutions.”
Meanwhile, countries like Germany and Britain are quietly returning to coal and nuclear power, and climate conferences keep producing lofty pledges with negligible results.
The “climate emergency” has been politically profitable and emotionally satisfying — but it’s becoming scientifically indefensible.
The tide is turning. More scientists, journalists, and citizens are willing to say what many have long suspected: the catastrophe narrative was never about saving the planet. It was about control.
Here is the full video of ShellenBerger's interview.
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