A social media post in Kenya recently shared a graph purporting to show global temperatures between 1900 and 2010, claiming there has been no warming since 1900 and no link to carbon dioxide. However, this flat graph is contradicted by every major global temperature dataset. According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there is a clear increase in global temperatures over land and the oceans from January 1900 to December 2010.
The United Kingdom's Met Office HadCRUT dataset also shows a similar pattern of rapid temperature increase, particularly from the 1960s onward. This spike in temperatures is observed in both hemispheres, with warming being more pronounced in the Northern Hemisphere. Previous analyses by PesaCheck have confirmed this trend, showing that temperatures have continued to rise since 2010.
In fact, the last 11 years have all been the hottest on record, with the last three being the warmest. Researchers expect 2026 to be the fourth hottest on record if trends continue. The consistency of temperature datasets from around the world further supports the accuracy of these findings.
The World Meteorological Organisation has highlighted the near-identical correlation between the world's temperature datasets. Multiple datasets, including those specific to Africa, show that the temperature is increasing across the continent. North, Central, and East Africa are experiencing the fastest temperature increases, but every region is clearly heating up.
PesaCheck has previously investigated and debunked other claims that might be used to dispute global warming, such as the role of albedo and cloud cover. Research has shown that these factors are not responsible for global warming. Additionally, the 1930s were not the hottest year on record, contrary to some claims.
The overwhelming scientific consensus is that humans are the primary cause of climate change, mainly through emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels. PesaCheck's examination of the graph in question confirms that it is false and part of a broader pattern of misinformation on social media.
PesaCheck, East Africa’s first public finance fact-checking initiative, is part of a global effort to combat misinformation on social media platforms. By partnering with Facebook and similar platforms, PesaCheck and other third-party fact-checking organisations help users distinguish fact from fiction in their social media feeds.
Key points
- The graph claiming no global warming since 1900 is false.
- Multiple major temperature datasets show a clear increase in global temperatures since 1900.
- Humans are the primary cause of climate change through greenhouse gas emissions.
