As the world grapples with crucial conversations centered on climate change, Hillary Clinton, a former presidential candidate, has been accused of falsifying details about the number of deaths tied to climate-related issues. Her troubling assertion – which referred specifically to the toll of “global boiling” – recently occurred at the 28th annual United Nations climate change conference (COP28) held in Dubai. Clinton suggested that the mounting tally of climate-related fatalities is primarily due to extreme heat, but this assertion is fraught with misleading claims, causing a ripple of contention and frustration among many.
At the heart of this debate, Clinton cited a death toll of 61,000 due to a heatwave in Europe – a figure she claimed remains unrecorded. The former Secretary of State further contended that climate change-related mortality can vary according to gender. She referenced a Harvard Business Review article commenting, “we can’t fight climate change without fighting for gender equity.”
However, the information presented by Clinton seems to be at odds with factual data on climate-related deaths. Reports from the United Nations indicate that these fatalities have actually decreased by a staggering 99% over the past century. This comes as no surprise to environmentalists like Bjørn Lomborg, who long have been vocal about the declining trend in climate-related deaths.
NOW – Hillary Clinton: "We're seeing and beginning to pay attention and to count and record the deaths that are related to climate." pic.twitter.com/6hVv4qFB1T
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) December 4, 2023
Detailing his observations, Lomborg shared that the annual death toll from climate-related disasters has dipped by over 96% in the last hundred years. From an alarming average of 485,000 deaths annually in the 1920s, the frequency has markedly decreased to 18,362 per year in the 2010s – a reduction of over 96%. Furthermore, there were even fewer casualties in the year 2020 – 14,893 deaths to be precise – marking a 97% drop compared to the 1920s.
Another dissenting voice in this conversation belongs to Judith A. Curry, a respected American climatologist and former chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Curry argues that the “overwhelming consensus” regarding climate change is largely “manufactured” and often used as a formula to gain better recognition and funding. She further exposes a pressure within the scientific community to promote alarmist narratives for career advancement.
Remarkably, there was a recent admission from climate scientist, Patrick T. Brown, a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University, who admitted he had omitted key facts about climate change and wildfires in a research paper to fit within “pre-approved narratives” of notable scientific journals.
Against the backdrop of these conflicting narratives, the importance of honest, reliable, and accurate reporting becomes glaringly apparent. Fear and panic driven by biased narratives can deter us from making informed, smart decisions. Our understanding and response to climate change should not be influenced by distorted facts or misleading statistics. Instead, concrete scientific evidence should guide our actions.
In conclusion, while it is universally acknowledged that the Earth’s climate is drastically changing due to human actions, the portrayal of climate change and its impacts must remain truthful and free from exaggerations. As we attempt to address the issue, it is vital to remember that transparency is a key component of this global battle. We, as a society, would do well to discern fact from fiction and to understand that amidst the clamor of catastrophic predictions, the way we choose to adapt to these changes will determine our survival.
