It's not a religion. We not only have data we also have the visceral reactions when confronted with real-world examples of what climate change is doing right now.
I was a bit shocked when I heard that the Greenland glacier is melting from the bottom. Arctic waters are feeding energy under it. It is melting at a higher rate than ever recorded before [1].
Here's a fun fact. Last 5 years are the hottest on record [2].
Tuvalu is sinking [3].
This isn't theoretical anymore. The change is coming, fast.
Glaciers always melt from the bottom (or at least appear to do so) since that is where the water goes. Parts of Greenland's glaciers are actually growing [1].
Here's a strange fact: the last 5 years are only the hottest on record when compared to recent historical temperature data. Compared to previous historical temperature data (over the same period) the last 5 years are comparable to but not as extreme as the hot period in the mid-30's. This discrepancy started when meteorological institutions in parts of the world started 'correcting' their historical temperature records. The claimed reason for these corrections - which lower past temperatures while raising recent ones - is that they are necessary to make historical measurements comparable to recent and current ones. This claim has been tested and found wanting in the case of the Dutch meteorological office, KNMI [2 (in Dutch)]. NOAA in the US does the same type of corrections which are being criticised for being excessive but I have not yet found an impartial and detailed report laying out where exactly they went wrong.
Here's a strange fact: the last 5 years are only the hottest on record when compared to recent historical temperature data. Compared to previous historical temperature data (over the same period) the last 5 years are comparable to but not as extreme as the hot period in the mid-30's. This discrepancy started when meteorological institutions in parts of the world started 'correcting' their historical temperature records. The claimed reason for these corrections - which lower past temperatures while raising recent ones - is that they are necessary to make historical measurements comparable to recent and current ones. This claim has been tested and found wanting in the case of the Dutch meteorological office, KNMI [2 (in Dutch)]. NOAA in the US does the same type of corrections which are being criticised for being excessive but I have not yet found an impartial and detailed report laying out where exactly they went wrong.
Finally: Tuvalu is growing, not sinking [3].
[1] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/03/one-p...
[2] https://klimaatgek.nl/document/De%20homogenisatie%20van%20De...
[3] https://phys.org/news/2018-02-pacific-nation-bigger.html