Climate change is a real and urgent problem caused by human activity that requires immediate action—and misinformation gets in the way of taking action. Let’s take a closer look at how and why climate change misinformation spreads.
Climate change misinformation is a widespread issue, making it difficult for people to understand climate change and take action to address it.
The scientific evidence of climate change is all around us. Despite the overwhelming evidence, there are still many people who deny the reality of climate change.
Some of the most common types of misinformation about climate change include:
- It isn’t real
- It’s not caused by humans
- It is not a problem
- It is too big a problem to solve and there is nothing we can do
What About the Role of Social Media?
Social media is a powerful communication tool that allows people to stay informed, connect with others, and voice opinions. However, we must be aware of the potential for it to spread climate change misinformation and propaganda. Climate misinformation is far more prevalent than we may realize.
Climate change misinformation often drowns out scientific evidence, making it difficult to find reliable sources of information.
74% of internet users have encountered inaccurate or deceptive data online, highlighting the growing concern around the validity of climate information. Climate change misinformation often drowns out scientific evidence, making it difficult to find reliable sources of information. Social media platforms elevate content that users are likely to agree with, creating echo chambers and making it hard to distinguish between real and fake news.
Climate misinformation leads us to gradually persuade ourselves that false narratives about climate change are true. We even begin to doubt facts that we already confirmed to be true. This is particularly significant considering that paid actors frequently utilize credible experts to support their claims when they deny the existence of climate change.
Let’s Follow the Misinformation Money:
The proliferation of false information on social media threatens social cohesion. It is alarming to see that misleading content generates over $2.6 billion in ad revenue, with 78% of spending on just seven flagged pages. What’s even more concerning is that all these pages are often funded by the same for-profit sources including ExxonMobile, one of the largest publicly traded oil and gas companies. This indicates a clear intent to spread disinformation and create division in our society by these sources,
…misleading content generates over $2.6 billion in ad revenue, with 78% of spending on just seven flagged pages.
In order to push back against climate change misinformation, we must use critical thinking when consuming social media content. Check sources before sharing and don’t believe everything you read. Combat misinformation by reporting fake news and propaganda to social media platforms.
To learn more about ways to combat climate change misinformation follow @cepheartland on Instagram and Twitter. Follow the Climate + Energy Project on Facebook.
This blog post was researched and written by Jenny Vicente, who joined CEP’s team as the Marketing and Communications Intern over the course of summer 2023. Jenny recently graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology. During her internship, Jenny focused on examining misinformation surrounding the climate crisis as well as renewable energy. Over the course of the summer, she compiled her findings into a blog and featured snapshots of her research in weekly social media posts. Learn more about CEP Internship opportunities.
Sources:
Fletcher, Charlie. “4 Ways Social Media Can Further Climate Research.” Earth.Org, 11 May 2023.
Glavinskas, Vanessa. “Pinterest Banned Climate Change Disinformation. Will Other Social Media Giants Do the Same?” Vital Signs, 6 June 2022. Accessed 01 Aug. 2023.
Paul, Kari “Climate Misinformation on Facebook ‘Increasing Substantially’, Study Says “A new analysis reveals that thousands of climate misinformation posts received up to 1.36m views every day.” The Guardian, 4 Nov. 2021.
Trachtenberg, Ari. “Tweets, Ads, and Lies: Researchers Are Fighting against Climate Misinformation.” Boston University, 23 May 2023.
