SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Extent of Arctic sea ice in September 2016 versus the 1981-2010 average minimum extent (gold line). Through satellite images, researchers have observed a steep decline in the average extent of Arctic sea ice for every month of the year. This trend has continued. (Credit: NASA)
Trump Proves Record-Level Ignorance Regarding Ice Caps, Climate Crisis
"The president insists that 'the ice caps are at a record level,' confirming the suspicion that he's living on a different planet."
Jan 29, 2018
Though ultimately difficult to prove whether it is President Donald Trump's willful misstatement of facts and reality or just the expression of his outright ignorance and stupidity, scientists and climate experts were forced to gasp at just how little the president appears to understand about the threat of human-caused global warming when he suggested to British interviewer Piers Morgan the polar ice caps were doing great.
"Globally, we are in fact seeing record sea ice....lows. We see that the opposite of what Trump said is in fact true." --Michael Mann, climate scientistIn the interview that aired Sunday night, in which Morgan asked the president directly about his beliefs on the subject, Trump responded by saying, "The ice caps were going to melt, they were going to be gone by now, but now they're setting records."
Of course, the ice caps are setting records... but for how bad they're doing and how rapidly they're melting. As Common Dreams reported just last month, NOAA's latest Arctic Report Card--a government-generated document that anybody (even the president) can read--showed that rates of Arctic warming and sea ice decline are now at levels not seen in 1,500 years.
\u201cThe #Arctic saw its 2nd warmest year on record, says @NOAA's Arctic Report Card issued at #AGU17. This #satellite-based animation shows Arctic sea ice concentration was below average during much of 2017. More info: https://t.co/PmPCRjrUVL\u201d— NOAA Satellites (@NOAA Satellites) 1513104852
Meanwhile, Penn State climatologist Michael Mann penned a detailed rebuttal to the president's statement on Sunday and explained, "Globally, we are in fact seeing record sea ice....lows. We see that the opposite of what Trump said is in fact true."
Though Trump has bragged that he's "like a very smart person" and "comprehends" things very well--"better than, I think, almost anybody"-- the very accessible, highly documented, and well-explained scientific consensus on climate change appears to elude him in a big way.
\u201cThe president insists that "the ice caps are at a record level," confirming the suspicion that he's living on a different planet.\u201d— Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben) 1517193268
\u201cThe @realDonaldTrump fails to grasp basic climate change facts-For example the globe is warming 10x faster than during deglaciation after the last ice age-Here's me the last day snow fell in my home town, in 1976. https://t.co/ySQ1xoGUFK @billmckibben @MarkRuffalo @MichaelEMann\u201d— Mark Z. Jacobson (@Mark Z. Jacobson) 1517201102
Â
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Though ultimately difficult to prove whether it is President Donald Trump's willful misstatement of facts and reality or just the expression of his outright ignorance and stupidity, scientists and climate experts were forced to gasp at just how little the president appears to understand about the threat of human-caused global warming when he suggested to British interviewer Piers Morgan the polar ice caps were doing great.
"Globally, we are in fact seeing record sea ice....lows. We see that the opposite of what Trump said is in fact true." --Michael Mann, climate scientistIn the interview that aired Sunday night, in which Morgan asked the president directly about his beliefs on the subject, Trump responded by saying, "The ice caps were going to melt, they were going to be gone by now, but now they're setting records."
Of course, the ice caps are setting records... but for how bad they're doing and how rapidly they're melting. As Common Dreams reported just last month, NOAA's latest Arctic Report Card--a government-generated document that anybody (even the president) can read--showed that rates of Arctic warming and sea ice decline are now at levels not seen in 1,500 years.
\u201cThe #Arctic saw its 2nd warmest year on record, says @NOAA's Arctic Report Card issued at #AGU17. This #satellite-based animation shows Arctic sea ice concentration was below average during much of 2017. More info: https://t.co/PmPCRjrUVL\u201d— NOAA Satellites (@NOAA Satellites) 1513104852
Meanwhile, Penn State climatologist Michael Mann penned a detailed rebuttal to the president's statement on Sunday and explained, "Globally, we are in fact seeing record sea ice....lows. We see that the opposite of what Trump said is in fact true."
Though Trump has bragged that he's "like a very smart person" and "comprehends" things very well--"better than, I think, almost anybody"-- the very accessible, highly documented, and well-explained scientific consensus on climate change appears to elude him in a big way.
\u201cThe president insists that "the ice caps are at a record level," confirming the suspicion that he's living on a different planet.\u201d— Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben) 1517193268
\u201cThe @realDonaldTrump fails to grasp basic climate change facts-For example the globe is warming 10x faster than during deglaciation after the last ice age-Here's me the last day snow fell in my home town, in 1976. https://t.co/ySQ1xoGUFK @billmckibben @MarkRuffalo @MichaelEMann\u201d— Mark Z. Jacobson (@Mark Z. Jacobson) 1517201102
Â
Though ultimately difficult to prove whether it is President Donald Trump's willful misstatement of facts and reality or just the expression of his outright ignorance and stupidity, scientists and climate experts were forced to gasp at just how little the president appears to understand about the threat of human-caused global warming when he suggested to British interviewer Piers Morgan the polar ice caps were doing great.
"Globally, we are in fact seeing record sea ice....lows. We see that the opposite of what Trump said is in fact true." --Michael Mann, climate scientistIn the interview that aired Sunday night, in which Morgan asked the president directly about his beliefs on the subject, Trump responded by saying, "The ice caps were going to melt, they were going to be gone by now, but now they're setting records."
Of course, the ice caps are setting records... but for how bad they're doing and how rapidly they're melting. As Common Dreams reported just last month, NOAA's latest Arctic Report Card--a government-generated document that anybody (even the president) can read--showed that rates of Arctic warming and sea ice decline are now at levels not seen in 1,500 years.
\u201cThe #Arctic saw its 2nd warmest year on record, says @NOAA's Arctic Report Card issued at #AGU17. This #satellite-based animation shows Arctic sea ice concentration was below average during much of 2017. More info: https://t.co/PmPCRjrUVL\u201d— NOAA Satellites (@NOAA Satellites) 1513104852
Meanwhile, Penn State climatologist Michael Mann penned a detailed rebuttal to the president's statement on Sunday and explained, "Globally, we are in fact seeing record sea ice....lows. We see that the opposite of what Trump said is in fact true."
Though Trump has bragged that he's "like a very smart person" and "comprehends" things very well--"better than, I think, almost anybody"-- the very accessible, highly documented, and well-explained scientific consensus on climate change appears to elude him in a big way.
\u201cThe president insists that "the ice caps are at a record level," confirming the suspicion that he's living on a different planet.\u201d— Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben) 1517193268
\u201cThe @realDonaldTrump fails to grasp basic climate change facts-For example the globe is warming 10x faster than during deglaciation after the last ice age-Here's me the last day snow fell in my home town, in 1976. https://t.co/ySQ1xoGUFK @billmckibben @MarkRuffalo @MichaelEMann\u201d— Mark Z. Jacobson (@Mark Z. Jacobson) 1517201102
Â
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.