Scientific Consensus Reaffirms Climate Change Reality Amidst Skepticism

A recent tweet by cartoonist Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, dismissed climate change as a "hoax" and questioned the reliability of climate models, suggesting that the topic is losing public interest. Adams stated, "I remember when the climate change hoax was a top story in the fake news. I think they have started to give up on it. Wait until you find out about climate models." This assertion stands in stark contrast to the overwhelming scientific consensus and ongoing global efforts to address climate change.

The scientific community overwhelmingly agrees that climate change is real, human-caused, and accelerating. Multiple studies, including a 2021 review, indicate that over 99% of peer-reviewed scientific papers concur on the human cause of climate change. This consensus is consistently supported by major scientific organizations worldwide, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and numerous international science academies. These bodies regularly issue reports detailing the observed warming trends and their human drivers.

Contrary to Adams' suggestion that the issue is being "given up on," recent reports from 2024 and 2025 highlight the increasing urgency and observable impacts of climate change. The World Economic Forum, for instance, reported in June 2025 that global temperatures are 80% likely to break records over the next five years, with significant implications for glacial melting and extreme weather events. The UN's 2024 reports consistently emphasize the escalating climate crisis, detailing impacts on human health, water resources, and global food security.

Climate models, which Adams specifically targeted, are fundamental tools in understanding and projecting future climate scenarios. These models are built upon well-established physical laws and are continuously refined with new data and improved computational capabilities. While no model can perfectly predict the future, their projections have consistently aligned with observed warming trends. Scientists use an ensemble of models to account for uncertainties, and their collective output provides robust insights into potential future climate states. The IPCC's assessments, which rely heavily on these models, have proven remarkably accurate in predicting global temperature changes over decades.

The ongoing scientific research and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events globally underscore that climate change remains a critical and actively addressed global challenge, far from being a "hoax" or a discarded topic.