The hashtag ClimateScam, which denies climate change, has become one of the top search terms on the subject on Twitter, prompting observers to warn on Monday of a rise in misinformation following the takeover of the platform by Elon Musk.
By typing “climate” in the search bar of Twitter, we come across “ClimateScam” as the first result, followed by “ClimateAction” then “ClimateEmergency”.
Resurgence of misinformation
Analysts and environmental activists have warned of a surge in climate misinformation on Twitter since Tesla’s billionaire boss bought it out and fired thousands of staff, including many content moderators.
“Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter appears to be encouraging communities challenging global warming to ‘test’ it by posting statements that contain various types of misinformation, including climate-related misinformation,” said Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD ), a group that analyzes trends in fake news on social media.
Researchers and pro-climate activists believe that, despite the measures announced by the various platforms, misinformation about global warming is flourishing.
Twitter and other networks like Facebook and Google, however, claim to act to make false posts less visible.
But the Institute for Strategic Dialogue think tank said in a study published this year that messages to “deny, deceive and delay” climate action were overwhelming on social media.
“It is certain that human influence has warmed the atmosphere”
The vast majority of the world’s scientists agree that humanity is warming the planet by burning fossil fuels, despite the various conspiracy theories flourishing online claiming otherwise.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in its 2021 report: “There is no doubt that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, oceans and land. »
He warned that CO2 emissions must be reduced as much as possible to avoid the worst consequences of this warming.