The biggest scientific myth of today is that the science community is divided about the threat to our climate from burning fossil fuels. It is simply not true, and if you were to read the different scientific journals, you would quickly see that the consensus is overwhelming. Progress is being made, and those who refuse to accept it are increasingly being seen as out of touch with reality. The media is getting it as well, and several newspapers no longer will publish letters to the editors that make long discredited claims which are not backed up by science.

So, how do you get the message out? John Cook who founded the excellent website Skeptical Science had a good idea, and he has gotten 97 of the world’s top climate scientists to write a short paragraph about the consensus. He is posting a new one every hour here.

Why 97? Several researchers have actually looked into the question and have all come up with about the same number: 97%. That is the proportion who agree with the IPCC reports. If you narrow the scientists to those who frequently publish in the field, and who have a direct background in atmospheric physics, the number goes to about 99%.

Here are a few of the 97 snapshots including some ones from scientists I know like Dr. Marshall Shepherd, Dr. Jennifer Francis ,and Dr. Ben Santer.

You can see more as they are posted HERE.

A few of the previous posts I have written about the scientists above is below:

https://blogs.agu.org/wildwildscience/2008/08/09/if-you-only-read-one-science-paper-read-this-one/

https://blogs.agu.org/wildwildscience/2011/12/30/those-inconvenient-numbers-just-keep-adding-up/

https://blogs.agu.org/wildwildscience/2011/12/09/four-days-at-the-agu-the-worlds-biggest-science-meeting/

https://blogs.agu.org/wildwildscience/2012/04/18/weird-spring-weather-related-to-diminishing-arctic-sea-ice/