Climate change is real. But why do some say it’s a hoax?

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and it affects us all.?Yet greedy, unregulated social media and search engine companies have enabled a cascade of lies about climate change. In this explainer, we talk about climate misinformation and disinformation.

What do climate scientists say?

97% of scientists?agree?that climate change is driven by human activity. Our planet is warming up at an ever-accelerating rate and leading to a catastrophic climate crisis.

We are at a?climate tipping point. Delayed action means humanity will be forced to endure continual and worsening surges in heat waves, droughts, typhoons and hurricanes, rising sea levels, and the degradation of our food supply.

Climate change is real.?So why does our information ecosystem seem to be awash with people denying the science, obfuscating the truth, or proposing faulty explanations?

In November 2021, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) identified the?Toxic Ten, a group of fringe publishers disproportionately responsible for spreading climate denial content. The research showed how the?Toxic Ten?fuelled 69% of digital climate change denial, and altogether they have around 186 million followers on mainstream social media platforms.

Both Facebook and Google have failed to stop the spread of climate disinformation. CCDH revealed that Facebook failed to label 92% of?Toxic Ten?posts, and Google generated an estimated $5.3 million in ad revenue from their content.

How can we tackle climate change misinformation and disinformation online?

CCDH is working to tackle climate misinformation and disinformation by exposing the role of social media platforms – many of which claim to be green – in spreading climate disinformation and, in some cases, even profiting from it.

Climate change is real, and misinformation is a serious problem that requires urgent action. Read our full explainer for a deeper understanding of climate change misinformation and disinformation, as well as to learn how to tackle the problem.