Opinion: If climate change were a scam, scientists would be hyping up the Antarctic iceberg

On Wednesday morning, researchers reported that the massive Larsen C ice shelf had finally ruptured, releasing an iceberg the size of Delaware into the Antarctic Ocean.

Rather than ringing the alarm on man-made climate change, glaciologist Martin O’Leary called the massive calving “natural,” and stated his team was “not aware of any link to human induced climate change.”

Before climate change skeptics reach for some Larsen C ice cubes to chill their Champagne, let’s reflect:

A dramatic ice event went down and scientists did not seize the opportunity to evangelize for man-made climate change. Could that mean that maybe they are concerned with just the facts?

In the era of so-called fake news, the impartiality feels like a cool breeze.

But if we are going to listen to scientists when they tell us we are not to blame for certain climate events, we also need to listen to them when they say we are. When James Hansen, a former NASA scientist who first testified about global warming to Congress in 1988, warns us that sea levels are going to rise several meters over the next 100 years if we keep burning fossil fuels at current rates, we should believe him.

So long, Malibu retirement fantasy.

The Midas team is not on one side regarding climate change and James Hansen on another. Between 90% and 100% of scientists agree: Climate change is caused by both natural and human events, which exacerbate each other in a vicious cycle.

Believe it or not, scientists aren’t out to hoodwink you when it comes to climate change. Despise politicians and loathe the media, if you must. If there is one source of information you still trust — let it be the scientists.

Cassady Rosenblum is an intern in The Times’ Opinion section.

cassady.rosenblum@latimes.com

@cassadyariel

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook