A new scientific study indicates that changing cloud cover may be behind most of the abrupt global warming observed in 2023, with the rise in carbon dioxide contributing to only 10% of the warming. Climate scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies found that the world’s cloud cover has shrunk by a small but tangible amount in the past two decades. Clouds that once reflected light away now let more light in to warm the Earth and boost global warming. Amazonian and Congolian forests and portions of Canadian forests had some of the largest reductions in cloud cover in 2023.

The signs of warming due to reduced planetary albedo are everywhere. The Port of Manaus on the Rio Negro in Brazil recorded its lowest water level in October 2023 since 1902, accompanied by the highest air temperatures in at least 50 years. The rainforest is on the threshold of a “tipping point” with the Amazon undergoing intense forest degradation and deforestation, a lengthening dry season, and a decline of the Amazon carbon sink. In New England, reading the landscape reveals a critical tipping point was crossed when too many paved surfaces replaced native vegetation and soil. Although annual rainfall remains unchanged, increased stormwater runoff erodes soils, and warmer water flows to the sea. In 2011, the Gulf Stream meandered onto the Continental Shelf closer to Rhode Island to dissipate more energy, while in 2007, a stronger Gulf Stream surfaced in Svalbard, warming the land and initiating glacier melting. Our actions on the land are strengthening the Gulf Stream.

NASA’s animated video of the Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 2024 does not illustrate the typical spring ice melt beginning along the shore. Instead, the melt begins in the Greenland Sea, where the Atlantic meets the Arctic Ocean. More of the Atlantic-warmed West Spitsbergen Current flows into the Arctic and veers right due to the Coriolis Effect of Earth’s rotation. As spring arrives in the Arctic, warm water continues counterclockwise circulation, leading to open water along the shores of Siberia to Alaska. A field of icebergs remains at the North Pole, while thick ice adheres to Canada and Greenland’s shores.

Misconceptions Clouded By Misinformation

There are many misconceptions about climate change. Experts say the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) will weaken due to freshwater input from the melting Greenland ice sheet, a process they call “freshwater forcing.” However, these experts have not attempted to slow saltwater flow directly with freshwater and have not observed fresh river water spreading over denser saline water without impeding the current. Additionally, they hypothesize about the impact of various factors on ocean temperatures without direct observations. They probably believe that a hairdryer warms coffee when it must be placed on a hot plate instead.

The Arctic Ocean, where the water has been darkened as ice melts and deep water believed to be warmed by the low-altitude sun absorbs more energy. Without direct observation, people think that a pint glass of black coffee set next to a glass of milk on a sunny table will become warmer than the milk.

The ocean significantly affects coastal communities’ climates, warming them in winter and cooling them in summer. While substantial meltwater has been observed pooling on the Greenland ice sheet, it is unknown whether more or less than 50% will refreeze this October. No significant increases in freshwater flow into the sea have been reported, except one bridge was damaged once due to extreme rainfall. With longer, warmer summers, Greenland’s vegetation is growing and transpiring more than ever, and its coastal ocean waters remain characteristically saline, 36 parts per thousand.

There are misconceptions about global population growth and resource distribution. Some people mistakenly believe that an increased population diminishes individual resources, thus blaming the individual users of the decline in resources. Pizza-earthers believe the Earth is like a pizza. The more people on it, the smaller each person’s slice will be.

However, life demonstrates organized growth, unlike unregulated cancerous growth. Cells organize into organs, and organs form bodies. Bodies create communities, and communities develop ecosystems. The brain, for example, integrates numerous neurons and synapses, enhancing communication and function without concern for the skull’s spatial limitations. Many neurons become one brain that will make room for more.

Trouble arose when organized growth—more organized entities are better than less—collided with an economy based on scarcity. Markets require limited resources to establish value and generate profit. Free goods, such as air and sunlight, defy commodification due to their abundance. This economic paradox was notably addressed in 1972 when the Volkswagen Foundation funded the publication of The Limits to Growth, highlighting the inherent conflict between perpetual growth and finite resources.

The pizza-earther illusion fails to recognize how nature thrives with limited resources by sharing and cycling. One Earth, the water you drink today, was consumed by a dinosaur long ago. Organisms that cooperate are more fit to thrive than those that compete.

Disrupted Systems, Distracting Naming

The late 20th century saw a pivotal shift in the discourse on environmental degradation. Vice President Dick Cheney, for instance, steered scientific narratives towards framing global warming as “climate change,” thus diverting public attention from urgent issues such as deforestation, soil erosion, urban heat islands, stormwater overflow, harmful algal blooms, ocean dead zones and extreme local weather events.

Historically, climate change is not a novel phenomenon. The transformation of Mesopotamia from a lush, forested region into the arid desert known today is a testament to the consequences of mismanagement. Practices such as excessive plowing released carbon and methane, depleting the soil and altering the climate. The focus on maximizing immediate production for wealth ultimately resulted in long-term ecological devastation, a pattern that history has repeatedly revealed.

In contrast, proactive environmental stewardship can yield significant benefits. During Reconstruction following the Civil War, New York proactively addressed declining water levels by acquiring approximately 1,000 square miles of the Adirondacks Forest. This move ensured sufficient water supply in the Erie Canal for barge traffic, facilitating the state’s burgeoning economy.

Our actions must reverberate at the local level to effectively combat climate change. We must steward nature with more vegetation, cultivate deeper soils to sequester carbon, and replace impervious surfaces with permeable alternatives. Doing so moves away from unsustainable practices and moves towards a harmonious coexistence with our environment.

Restoring our climate depends on acknowledging the symbiotic relationship between organized growth and sustainable resource management. We strive to create resilient and thriving ecosystems through local actions and mindful stewardship of nature and clouds (you know, without illusions).

Dr. Rob Moir is a nationally recognized and award-winning environmentalist. He is president and executive director of Cambridge, MA-based Ocean River Institute, a nonprofit that provides expertise, services, resources, and information unavailable on a localized level to support the efforts of environmental organizations. Please visit www.oceanriver.org for more information.