One thing I have noticed over the years is that science often gets misrepresented in the media. A study is done, results are published, and the media will often take the results, sensationalize them, and completely misrepresent the study. This, of course, gets them better clicks, with their exciting headline, but the problem is that when people find out that the headline is false, they blame the scientists instead of the media. People then draw the inevitable conclusion that you can’t believe a word scientists say.
Case in point is the slow melting of Thwaites Glacier, a huge glacier that, when fully melted, will raise sea levels by around 65 cm (just over two feet).
Here are some of the completely false headlines recently published:
FALSE by Forbes: ‘Doomsday Glacier’ The Size Of Florida Could Collapse This Decade, Remaking Coastlines Worldwide
FALSE by NBC News: Antarctic ice shelf could crack, raise seas by feet within decade, scientists warn
FALSE by USA Today: Collapse of Florida-sized glacier may happen soon, raising sea levels and threatening coastal cities
FALSE by Space.com: Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’ could meet its doom within 3 years
All of the above are just plain false.
What scientists have actually recently reported is that a floating portion of the Thwaites Glacier, known as the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, is in danger of collapsing in the next 5 to 10 years. Since this is already floating, its collapse won’t affect ocean levels much at all. The bigger story here is that this ice shelf is helping to slow the advance of the Thwaites Glacier, and if it does collapse, Thwaites Glacier will probably advance at a faster rate. Like, maybe 25% faster. It will still take many decades, and probably centuries, for Thwaites Glacier to actually merge into the sea and raise ocean levels by the predicted 65 cm.
Here is an actual sensible article that accurately reports the facts:
TRUE by BBC: Thwaites: Antarctic glacier heading for dramatic change
The overall problem here is that a decade from now denialists will tout the above FALSE headlines as yet more things scientists said that didn’t come true. There are already lists circulating on social media of things that “alarmist” scientists have allegedly predicted that never came true. A close look at these lists shows that none of the headlines represent the scientific consensus and many don’t represent something that any scientist said at all.
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