It may happen all over the world but in the UK, prejudice against Gingers is a real problem that faces carrot-top kids and adults alike. Just to add fuel to the ridiculous fire, various news publications have latched onto the idea that Gingers may face extinction due to climate change.

According tothe Independent—and a bunch of other newspapers borrowing quotes from the original Daily Record report—“Gingers face extinction due to climate change.” […] [T]he story appears to be based entirely on the conjecture of Dr. Alistair Moffat, MD, of a Scottish consumer DNA-testing company called “ScottishDNA.” It isn’t even publishedas a press release on their website, let alone in an actual study.

In addition to this highly questionable source, it seems that this Moffat character is not a doctor at all, has no doctoral qualification that Vice could find and has no qualification in this area at all. Good source guys!

Moffat’s argument is actually pretty simple: People with ginger hair tend to be more vulnerable to the damaging effects of the sun, with a higher risk of developing skin cancer as a result. That’s one reason why you don’t see many redheaded people in, say, sub-Saharan Africa—the genes responsible take equatorial latitudes into account to avoid any of those negative effects. In places like Scotland, however, this is obviously less of a problem, and so the three genes responsible for redheadedness can flourish. With rising global temperatures, the scientists claim, redheads will be under more pressure and the gene would be at risk of dying out.

It sounds sort of plausible, until you actually stop and think through the bullshit these people are spouting.

So, we all know climate change is upon us and you can see it if you do not have your head up your own ass, but rising temperatures and climate change are not the same thing as increased UV radiation (the cause of cancers and harmful effects of the sun to which our fair-faced gingers are more susceptible).

In short, the whole idea is based on shaky sources and badly thought out illogical arguments.

Thus, the biggest threat to the ginger population is rumour mongers and prejudice – not climate change.

Honestly, people… have you heard what nonsense you are spewing out?

Read more on the science behind this ridiculous argument at Vice