Myth: There is no proof that CO2 is causing global warming

Scientists can’t prove that emissions of CO₂ and methane are the cause of global warming. Until they can, we should resist taking action.

Fact:

 It’s true that scientists can’t prove the link between greenhouse gas emissions and temperature changes, but that is true for many areas of science. The theories of gravity, relativity and evolution cannot be proven. Nor can the link between smoking and cancer. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t accept these theories as true. We accept them because they provide convincing, testable explanations of observed phenomena. We believe in the theory of gravity, for example, because there is no other way to explain why objects fall to the ground when dropped. Even so, it is still theoretically possible that something else is responsible. For example, angels could be sitting on the objects, pushing them down. That’s what people believed in medieval times. But no modern scientist would accept that view now; it simply doesn’t fit the facts. 

Hence, while we cannot prove that greenhouse gases are the cause of global warming, we can trust the scientific community when it says that they are. This is because they provide the only explanation that fits with observed reality.