My GCSE Science lessons were a combination of meaningless explanations made by teachers too bored or incompetent to do better, and of propaganda designed to make everyone believe the Earth was about to turn into a copy of Venus unless we all kept our heating off in winter and began eating bugs.

The real science—what I’ve studied for myself—paints a very different picture. And I wish I’d been able to write about this in my exams instead of regurgitating the nonsense required to pass.

The Great CO₂ Panic

We are told, relentlessly, that carbon dioxide is turning the planet into a furnace. This is the gospel of climate change alarmism: CO₂ is the control knob for global temperatures, and unless we all live in unheated pods and cycle to work, we’re doomed. But there’s a slight issue—none of this is supported by proper science.

Let’s start with the basics. The Earth’s atmosphere is about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and less than 1% argon. The remaining fraction consists of trace gases, including carbon dioxide, which makes up a measly 0.04% of the atmosphere. That’s four molecules out of every 10,000. But we are supposed to believe that this tiny fraction of CO₂ is the grand conductor of planetary climate?

To put this in perspective, water vapour is far more significant as a greenhouse gas. It makes up anywhere from 1% to 4% of the atmosphere—orders of magnitude more than CO₂. Yet, we hear nothing about water vapour because you can’t tax it, and you can’t guilt people into changing their behaviour by blaming it for rising temperatures.

The Myth of Runaway Warming

One of the biggest scare stories is that CO₂ will trigger a runaway greenhouse effect, sending global temperatures skyrocketing. This is based on a childish misunderstanding of how the climate works. CO₂’s ability to absorb infrared radiation follows a logarithmic decline. This means that each additional molecule of CO₂ has less of an effect than the one before it.

The first 20 parts per million (ppm) of CO₂ in the atmosphere have a major impact on trapping heat. But by the time we get to 400 ppm, the additional warming effect is negligible. If we doubled CO₂ levels tomorrow, the direct warming would only be about 1°C—a mild, entirely manageable increase. And yet, we are constantly warned of catastrophic temperature rises of 4°C or more. How? Through computer models that assume unproven feedback mechanisms, largely involving water vapour.

These models—worshipped by politicians and activists—are about as reliable as astrology. They have consistently over-predicted warming for the past 30 years. When real-world temperature records fail to match the models, we are told the data must be “adjusted” or that natural variability is temporarily hiding the warming. Convenient.

The Great Climate Swindle

Climate science has been hijacked by politics. Billions are poured into research that must toe the line of climate alarmism, while dissenting voices are ignored, smeared, or de-funded. If you want to keep your university position or your grant money, you’d better not suggest that natural climate variability is more important than CO₂.

Though I was sent to him mainly to learn Greek and Latin – my school, of course, spends oceans of our tax money on propaganda, little on actual education – Dr Gabb has introduced me to a vast dissenting literature on past climatic changes. Here is a diagram showing average temperatures – so far as we can know them – since the end of the last ice age. The swings of temperature have dwarfed anything alleged to be happening now: all this, and life went on.

But of course, it’s not about science. It’s about power, control, and money. Carbon taxes, Net Zero policies, and the demonisation of fossil fuels are all tools to limit economic growth and impose authoritarian restrictions on ordinary people. Meanwhile, the same elites who lecture us on reducing our carbon footprint fly around in private jets to climate conferences.

The Real Threat

The real danger isn’t climate change—it’s the policies designed to “fight” it. Energy prices are soaring because governments have forced us to rely on unreliable wind and solar power while shutting down coal, gas, and nuclear plants. This isn’t saving the planet; it’s making life harder for everyone except the ultra-rich.

Developing nations are being denied the energy they need to grow because Western bureaucrats insist they should rely on solar panels instead of cheap, reliable coal. This is eco-imperialism at its finest—keeping the Third World poor while the West smugly pats itself on the back.

Final Thoughts

I wish I’d been allowed to write this in my GCSE Science exams. Instead, I had to parrot whatever was in the textbook, knowing full well that none of it made sense. Climate change alarmism isn’t science—it’s a mixture of half-truths, political opportunism, and outright deception. The planet isn’t burning, CO₂ isn’t a magic thermostat, and the people pushing this narrative care more about power than the environment.

If we truly want to help the planet, we should focus on genuine environmental issues: reducing pollution, preserving biodiversity, and improving energy efficiency—not crippling economies and impoverishing people in pursuit of a fantasy.