Fossil Fuel Interests Spread Climate Denial on Social Media
“Vested interests have generated rhetoric and misinformation that undermines climate science and disregards risk and urgency. Resultant public misperception of climate risks and polarized public support for climate actions is delaying urgent adaptation planning and implementation.”
~ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group II, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
Since gas prices increased last year, there has been a marked increase in climate denial posts on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets. Many of these posts are coming from radical right politicians capitalizing on price gouging to further the interests of their mega donors in Big Oil. More surprising is the news that much of the climate denial propaganda is being disseminated by the fossil fuel industry.
The fossil fuel industry has taken a page from Putin’s playbook and is using social media to spread disinformation. A report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, Deny, Deceive, Delay Vol. 2: Exposing New Trends in Climate Mis- and Disinformation at COP27 tracks and exposes anti-climate attacks that occurred around the time of the COP27 summit.
