Ed Hawkins' spiraling temperature visualization sparks climate debate
Climate visualization reignites discussion of global warming's accelerating impacts and humanity's capacity to respond.
What to know
- Ed Hawkins' temperature visualization prompted discussion about whether climate change is now beyond mitigation—commenters argue observable harms (heat deaths, crop failure, insurance retreat) are already widespread.
- A core tension emerged: some commenters emphasized humans struggle to perceive exponential or nonlinear changes; others questioned whether climate data itself has been manipulated.
- Multiple voices tied climate urgency to political leadership, arguing voters need scientifically literate representatives to address the crisis.
The dispute Whether climate change is a preventable future threat requiring political action or an already-irreversible process beyond human intervention; and whether scientific data on climate trends is reliable or systematically manipulated. · positions read across 11 posts and comments
Climate damage is already occurring and accelerating beyond human coping capacity.
-
“People are dying from extreme heat. Harvests are failing. Water systems are under stress. Work hours are being lost. Homes and infrastructure are being destroyed. Insurance is retreating. Climate costs are rising.”
idummkopp.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Humans struggle cognitively to perceive exponential or complex feedback changes in climate systems.
-
“One if the things I got from the whole Covid debacle is how slow linear changes are easily ignored, and the prospect of exponential changes and more complex network feedback in multidimensional systems are beyond many people's reckoning…”
unusualtimeline.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Climate scientists have manipulated historical temperature data to exaggerate modern warming.
-
“Yes, you can manipulate data and change (downwards) the 1930s recorded temperatures, and increase modern temperatures. And have insane people believe you, in contradiction to their actual experience.”
limot.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Political leadership lacking scientific literacy undermines climate response.
-
“We need to elect people into politics who can actually understand the science behind this — not idiots like D. J. Trump.”
artsofexistence.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Ed Hawkins Climate scientist
How it unfolded 5 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump postscomments
-
5
Calls for scientifically literate political leadership
A commenter tied the visualization to the need for elected officials who understand climate science, naming political figures they view as lacking that understanding.
“We need to elect people into politics who can actually understand the science behind this — not idiots like D. J. Trump.”
— artsofexistence.bsky.social -
A
We need to elect people into politics who can actually understand the science behind this — not idiots like D. J. Trump.
1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
-
When I worked with Greenpeace decades ago warning influencer grandparents cops beat the shit out of us back then too.
-
-
4
Skeptics question data manipulation in climate records
One commenter argued that climate scientists may have downward-adjusted 1930s temperature records while inflating modern ones, and suggested this contradicts people's lived experience.
-
If Climate Scientists were able to read literature, they could learn what 1930s were really like. Yes, you can manipulate data and change (downwards) the 1930s recorded temperatures, and increase modern temperatures. And have insane people believe you, in contradiction to their actual experience.
-
-
3
Commenters catalog observable climate harms already underway
Multiple voices emphasized that climate damage is no longer theoretical: heat deaths, crop failures, water stress, work loss, infrastructure destruction, and insurance retreat are occurring now. One commenter characterized this as entering a Malthusian trap.
“People are dying from extreme heat. Harvests are failing. Water systems are under stress. Work hours are being lost. Homes and infrastructure are being destroyed. Insurance is retreating. Climate costs are rising.”
— idummkopp.bsky.social -
People are dying from extreme heat. Harvests are failing. Water systems are under stress. Work hours are being lost. Homes and infrastructure are being destroyed. Insurance is retreating. Climate costs are rising.
2 more of the top 3 · 4 posts in this stretch
-
Welcome to The Malthusian Trap. Built by Growth. Driven by Greed. Version 8: The trap is already doing damage. This is no longer a warning about what may happen. It is an analysis of what has already begun.
-
When you finally admit you have a problem you're too far down the back side of the Curve to do anything about it. We are there.....
-
-
2
Commenters highlight difficulty perceiving slow, complex climate changes
Discussion emerged around human cognition and climate perception, with commenters noting that linear changes are easily ignored and exponential or network feedback effects exceed most people's comprehension.
“One if the things I got from the whole Covid debacle is how slow linear changes are easily ignored, and the prospect of exponential changes and more complex network feedback in multidimensional systems are beyond many people's reckoning entirely.”
— unusualtimeline.bsky.social -
One if the things I got from the whole Covid debacle is how slow linear changes are easily ignored, and the prospect of exponential changes and more complex network feedback in multidimensional systems are beyond many people’s reckoning entirely.
1 more of the top 2 · 3 posts in this stretch
-
This is only going one way ⬆️ and going to a place humans won’t cope well with. 🔥🌎 #climatecrises #climateemergency
-
-
1
Ed Hawkins shares spiraling temperature visualization
Climate scientist Ed Hawkins posted a visualization of global temperature trends on Bluesky, labeled as showing spiraling global temperatures. The post gained significant engagement with 627 interactions and 15 comments.
-
Spiralling global temperatures, visualisation by Ed Hawkins. #Visualisation #GlobalWarming #Climate
-
What people are saying 1 voices from 1 site · best of 11 · verbatim
- Sep 10
-
When you see it spiralling like this, it's utterly shocking... 😬