Climate change? Why are people so focused on getting others to believe or not believe that the climate is changing--that's the wrong question to be asking.

<𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐩𝐛𝐨𝐱>

Many people focus on whether the climate is changing (spoiler: it always has) and automatically assume it’s caused by humans. 

But what if anthropogenic climate change is the wrong starting point? Let’s explore why natural forces, not just human activity, might play a bigger role in the Earth’s climate system:

The Earth’s climate has been shifting for millions of years.

Ice ages and warm periods came and went long before humans arrived. Think of the Medieval Warm Period (950–1250 AD) or the Little Ice Age (1300–1850 AD).

These major events can’t be blamed on industry or cars.

The Sun drives almost everything on Earth. Its energy output changes in cycles, like the 11-year sunspot cycle.

During periods of high solar activity (solar maximum), Earth warms slightly, while during low activity (solar minimum), it cools. Remember the 𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐦 during the Little Ice Age?

During the Maunder Minimum (which coincided with the coldest part of the Little Ice Age), the number of sunspots dropped to extremely low levels—almost zero at times. During that time Glaciers advanced, the Thames and the Seine both froze over, and there were massive outbreaks of crop failure, much shorter growing seasons, and famine.

The Earth’s tilt, orbit, and wobble (called 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬) shift over tens of thousands of years, causing natural warming and cooling cycles. These orbital changes influence how much sunlight different parts of the Earth receive.

When volcanoes erupt, they release ash and gases like CO₂ and SO₂ into the atmosphere. This can cool the planet (blocking sunlight) or warm it (trapping heat).  Remember 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚 in 1815? It caused the “Year Without a Summer.”

Oceans are like Earth’s thermostat. Cycles like 𝐄𝐥 𝐍𝐢ñ𝐨 redistribute heat and cause global weather changes. Other patterns, like the 𝐀𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, shift temperatures over decades.

Cosmic rays from space might affect cloud formation, which changes Earth’s reflectivity (albedo). Fewer clouds = more warming. These changes are tied to solar activity, not humans.

Plate tectonics reshuffle ocean currents and wind patterns, reshaping climate over millennia. And don’t forget biology! The first photosynthetic organisms 2.5 billion years ago changed Earth’s atmosphere entirely.

CO₂ and temperature are linked, but which drives which?  In past warming periods, temperature rose 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 CO₂ levels. This suggests warming oceans released CO₂, rather than CO₂ causing the warming. It's called outgassing.

Yes, humans impact the environment. But reducing everything to “humans caused climate change” oversimplifies a system influenced by the Sun, oceans, volcanoes, and even cosmic rays. By blaming only humans, we miss the bigger picture and waste resources on the wrong solutions.

Let’s focus on what we can control: reducing pollution, protecting forests, and adapting to natural changes. 

𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥—𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐭, 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐢𝐭.

<𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐩𝐛𝐨𝐱>