Dear EarthTalk:

Is Joe Rogan right that the planet is actually cooling right now and we are not in a global warming crisis?

Bruce P., via email

Many media influencers, including Joe Rogan, a comedian and podcaster on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” have claimed that climate change is exaggerated, even that the planet is cooling. However, scientific evidence warns that the Earth is instead actually warming unusually fast due to human activity.

Rogan recently cited data from a 2024 study that shows Earth’s temperature over the last 485 million years. He stated that “the temperature on Earth is plummeting.” The study does include time periods where the temperature was higher than current levels, but upon closer inspection those moments were caused by events such the mass extinction of dinosaurs, or the “Great Dying.” Following asteroid impact, temperatures rose by five degrees celsius, which lasted for about 100,000 years. Temperatures have varied, and yes, our current time period is the coolest it's been in a long time. However, the real data point Rogan failed to take into account is time. Since the industrial revolution, temperatures have been climbing at a speed that rivals any other point in history, which is why climate change is so concerning. This warming has been driven primarily by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels.

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One of the co-authors of the study, Daniel Lunt, confirmed that the past warming periods occurred “so slowly that they are essentially undetectable on the timescale of a human lifetime.” However, in only 150 years, Earth’s temperatures have risen 1.2 degrees celsius. According to NASA, 2024 was the warmest year since 1880, causing wildfires and droughts. Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) reminds us that “temperatures during the warm periods on Earth three million years ago—when sea levels were dozens of feet higher than today—were only around 3 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels.” We are about halfway there.

Climate misinformation is becoming ever more common. Unfortunately, Rogan has millions of listeners, and other influencers spread harmful information to primarily youth viewers. Without proof, people continue to make claims that climate change is a hoax. Although TikTok has attempted to put in place misinformation policies, it is near impossible to prevent the spread. In the future, check on your friends and family. It is so easy to be exposed to false information. Use websites that check credibility, and make sure to do your own research before believing someone random on the internet.

CONTACTS

• Climate Scientist Cited By Joe Rogan Slams Podcaster For Spreading 'Dumb' Misinformation, https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2025/09/04/climate-scientist-cited-by-joe-rogan-slams-podcaster-for-spreading-dumb-misinformation.

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