Recently, the scientists who study global climate change have been receiving a lot of unwarranted bad press. These are people who have dedicated themselves and their careers to the pursuit of factual science and truth about the world around us. They don’t deserve to be torn down and subjected to ridicule for attempting to speak that truth.

Every major scientific body that has studied climate change has arrived at the same overwhelming conclusion: human-caused climate change is all too real, and could have catastrophic worldwide effects. The impacts, if left unchecked, could eventually produce substantial economic, medical and political destabilizations on a global scale.

All of the climate reports produced by the scientific community contain thousands of facts and conclusions that support the premise that climate change is a threat. The discovery of a minor error here or there cannot be considered grounds to invalidate this entire body of work. Even after correcting the erroneous data, there is still ample evidence to support the conclusion: the threat is real.

Whenever you hear a denial of global climate change, engage yourself in some critical thinking and consider the source. More often than not, the attempts to discredit the science are funded by the very industries that would profit the most by leaving things as they are. Those who are warning about climate change are motivated by a genuine desire to understand the world — and to protect it. Those who are denying it are motivated by the next quarterly report to their shareholders.

If, in the face of the overwhelming evidence, you still insist on believing that climate change is bogus, please at least consider this: In the long run, investments in efficiency and cleaner sources of energy will return huge benefits for the economy of the world and the health of its citizens. And, on a more philosophical and moral level, it’s simply an imperative to practice good stewardship of our resources. These alone should be reasons enough to act.

John Elsbree