How much do we know about climate change?

Abstract

Climate change is a large-scale event that threatens the entire world. There are many misconceptions regarding climate change globally, and Turkey is no exception. Understanding the causes and expanding our knowledge is necessary to minimize the damage. IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) releases new reports on climate change every five years. Some scientific findings could change the current understanding; therefore, people must be informed of discoveries. To understand what is well understood or missing, it is necessary to survey people occasionally. Thus, a survey titled "How well do we know climate change?" was conducted at ITU MTAL, which accepts students from all over Turkey. Results reveal that some misconceptions still need to be addressed among students. Environmental problems such as air pollution and the hole in the ozone layer are still confused with climate change. Students need to gain knowledge of Earth Sciences. While the general issues are well understood, more extensive information on several subjects can be introduced. Also, a lack of knowledge of the governmental process could lead to losing students' faith in the subject.