Within the ongoing debate about climate change, there are many myths and misconceptions that continue to raise their head. Here we look to address some of the most common arguments against the reality of climate change.

Climate Change is not caused by human activity

The overwhelming majority of scientists are convinced that temperatures on Earth are accelerating faster than they should be as a result of the increase in greenhouse gases caused by human activity.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), established by the UN in 1988, comprises of over 2000 leading scientists from around the world. Early in 2007, they published a new report into the human impact on climate change where they stated that they were more than 90% certain that human activity was indeed the main cause of global warming.

While that still leaves a small fraction of doubt amongst some of the claims, a 90%-plus chance is sufficient for many people to be extremely concerned about climate change and its future impact. Looking at it in a closer, more immediate level - would you cross a busy road if someone told you there was over a 90% chance of being hit by a car?

Global Warming will make the UK a nicer, warmer place to live

It's true to say that temperatures will rise around the UK because of global warming, resulting in hotter summers and milder winters. But the change in temperatures is also very likely to bring other less-appealing weather changes to the UK too. Drought conditions, leading to water shortages, are likely through the summer months while heavier rainfall in the winter is predicted to lead to more flooding, particularly in coastal regions. Household insurance costs would be expected to rise dramatically to cover the cost of additional damage to property caused by more extreme weather conditions such as increased flooding and stronger, more frequent storms. Warmer temperatures are likely to lead to an increase in germs and diseases whereas our colder winters would normally kill off many germs and bugs through the chillier months. Hotter weather during the summer months is also likely to have health implications for the elderly, young children and people with general health problems.

So while an increase in temperature may at first look appealing, there are many unpleasant consequences to consider alongside it.

The damage has already been done so there's no point taking action

It's generally accepted that there is a time lag between a change in the volume of greenhouse gases and the Earth's temperature. Most scientists agree that the gases we have already pumped into the atmosphere are going to irreversibly impact on the world's climate over the next 20-30 years and there's nothing we can do about it.

What we can do though is to change our activities now to ensure that things don't continue to change for the worse in the following years. Sufficient action over the next few decades could halt the predicted 4-5°C rise in temperature over the remainder of the century and limit the rise to no more than 2°C, preventing some of the more catastrophic forecasted consequences from happening in the future.

Making an effort to switch my lights off more regularly is not going to make a difference while the likes of the USA continue to do nothing to help the situation

Every action taken to reduce CO2 emissions - no matter how small and no matter where it happens - helps to reduce the risk of catastrophic change in the future. And the more people in the UK who carry out simple changes for the better, the lower the UK's total emissions will be.

Setting an example as a country on the global platform puts more pressure on countries such as the USA to do more to help reduce worldwide emissions.

Living a greener lifestyle is inconvenient and more expensive

This is simply not true. There are so many different ways in which you can make a difference to climate change through your day-to-day life that you can choose to do as much or as little as you want to. We have dozens of simple ideas here on the website that have no inconvenient impact on your lifestyle.

It's true that some environmentally-friendly products are more expensive than their non-green counterparts. For instance, Low energy lightbulbs generally cost about 3-4 times more than a standard bulb. However, most energy-saving products will more than pay for themselves during their lifetime - many during the first year or two.

As an example, investing in additional loft insulation and cavity wall insulation may cost you around £500-£700 at the outset but could save you as much as £400 per year off your heating costs, paying for itself in less than 2 years and saving you a substantial amount of money every year after that.