Fact Check: Do These ‘Roman’ Baths Prove There Is No Climate Change? Credit: X
Recently, a user on X shared an image of seaside stone structures called “Roman Tidal Baths”, reportedly in the island country of Malta. They captioned the image, “Roman tidal baths on Malta – still at sea level after thousands of years. But – climate change is about to kill us all. Right?” Sounds dubious to begin with but the post had millions of views, over 10 thousand reposts and likes and hundreds of replies. Many other users also shared the same image in a bid to discredit climate change, which is marked by rising sea levels.
However, this claim is entirely false and based on misinformation.
All About The “Roman” Baths In Malta
While the image is actually of Sliema, Malta, the credit of the picture, according to a fact check by Snopes, is due to travel photographer Julia Kivelä, who originally published the photo in 2019. Additionally, the baths in question were actually constructed in the Victorian era, between 1837 and 1901. They are not ancient Roman structures.
Snopes quotes Atlas Obscura, which had published an article on these baths in Sliema, “These pools are called Roman Baths, but they have nothing to do with the Romans. Instead, they appear to have their origins in the late 19th century, when Malta was a colony of the United Kingdom.”
Additionally, while the sea levels may not have risen around Malta, there is a difference between local sea level and global sea level variation. Sea level rise is a global phenomenon, but its impact can vary regionally due to factors like tectonic activity and ocean currents. While the sea level might not have risen significantly in this specific location over a relatively short period, it doesn’t negate the overall trend of global sea level rise.
