Connie Sorensen

This article says climate change is “believed to have played a role” in the UK's extreme heat this week. As a climate scientist, let me fact-check that. First, climate change is not a religion. No belief is required. It is about evidence. And the evidence has been crystal clear for more than two decades: climate change is making heat waves hotter, longer, more frequent and more dangerous. In fact, science has advanced far beyond saying climate change merely “played a role.” Today, we can quantify how much more likely and how much hotter climate change made a specific event. Here's the bottom line: Climate is changing. Humans are responsible. And we are experiencing the impacts now. That’s the bad news. The good news is that solutions already exist, and the majority of people care - 89%, around the world! But meaningful action depends on helping people understand not just what is happening: we need to know how it affects our lives (this heat wave being example A today) and what we can do about it. That’s the opportunity this reporting missed. bbc.com/news/articles/c8xwwp…