Posts about climate change will now automatically be labelled with an information banner that directs people to accurate climate science data at Facebook's Climate Science Information Center. Facebook
By Anne-Sophie Brändlin
Facebook has started tackling dangerous climate change myths and anti-environment propaganda that circulates among the platform's almost 3 billion monthly users.
<p>In a <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2021/02/connecting-people-with-credible-climate-change-information/" target="_blank">new trial</a> that was launched in the UK in late February, posts about climate change will now automatically be labelled with an information banner that directs people to accurate climate science data at the company's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/climatescienceinfo" target="_blank">Climate Science Information Center.</a></p><p>"We do recognize that we have a bigger role to play when it comes to informing people accurately about climate change," Alexandru Voica from Facebook's tech communication team told DW.</p><p>"This will make users more aware of what information they share," he said.</p><h2>Debunking Climate Myths</h2><p>The Climate Science Information Center, which uses research that has been vetted by leading scientific organizations, also has a climate-myth-busting unit that actively debunks false information circulating online.</p><p>It explains, for instance, that the decline of polar bear populations is actually caused by rising temperatures, that global warming is not just part of a natural cycle of temperature fluctuation and that more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere harms Earth's plant life.</p><p>Misinformation about climate change is not new, but experts believe it has been greatly amplified in the new digital world, where the topic is increasingly polarizing.</p><p>"Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube are the most relevant infrastructure for information these days," Markus Beckedahl, editor in chief of Netzpolitik, a German platform advocating the digital right to freedom, told DW.</p><p>"These companies have a monopoly and dominate the market when it comes to how people get informed, communicate and debate society. That's why they carry a huge responsibility."</p>
<h2>Fighting Climate Change Starts With Fighting Misinformation Around It</h2><p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/gch2.201600008" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Research</a> has shown that the best way to counteract the politicization of science is to convey the high-level consensus among experts about the reality of human‐caused climate change. </p><p>That's why Facebook's UK-based trial is putting short, corrective messages into posts containing climate-change misinformation. These messages include information like the fact that 97% of the world's scientific community agree that global warming is real and caused by humans.</p><p>Behavior and communication experts from George Mason University, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the University of Cambridge helped advise Facebook on how best to debunk such climate myths in a way that is tailored to the psychology of misinformation. Dr. Sander van der Linden is one of the experts behind the UK trial.</p><p>"One common error that we often see media outlets make, for instance, is to prominently repeat the myth in an attempt to debunk it. But that tends to strengthen people's mental associations with the myths and people kind of forget about the correction," van der Linden, who is a professor of social psychology at the University of Cambridge, told DW.</p><p>So instead of repeating the myths, they start by stating the facts.</p><p>The next step "is not to argue with people over the specifics, but to actually show what's misleading about the presentation of a particular argument and what the underlying technique is."</p>
<h2>Social Media Business Model a 'Catalyst for Misinformation'</h2><p>The Climate Science Information Center was launched in the US, Germany, the UK, and France last year and was just expanded to Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Nigeria, South Africa, Spain, India, Indonesia and Taiwan. If the UK trial goes well, these countries could see climate information banners and corrective message next, says Voica.</p><p>"We'll need to see the results from the UK tests first before we either expand the test or we make it into a real feature."</p><p>But for Markus Beckedahl, the climate misinformation trial comes years too late. He believes social media giants haven't done enough in the past years to combat misinformation. On the contrary, he says, they have actually promoted it through their own business model of collecting data and selling ads to keep people on the site.</p><p>"And the easiest way to do that is by showing content that creates emotions and anger. That's why disinformation and conspiracy theories have been shared and promoted massively on these sites in past years," he said.</p>
<h2>Opinion Loophole Makes Fact-Checking Even Harder</h2><p>Facebook has been coming under increasing pressure in recent years for failing to weed out false information, including myths about the climate crisis.</p><p>"The future of our planet is at stake, and there should be no company too big, too powerful, and too opaque to be held accountable for its role in the climate crisis. Facebook is no exception," U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and her colleagues <a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-carper-whitehouse-schatz-call-on-mark-zuckerberg-and-facebook-to-stop-the-deliberate-spread-of-climate-disinformation-on-the-companys-social-media-platforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote in a statement</a> last year.</p><p>One way the company tried to combat this problem is by outsourcing fact-checking to more than 80 independent organizations, including journalists who review and rate public Facebook and Instagram posts.</p><p>"Fact-checking posts is often very complex. There are some parts that are true, others that are not. So there is a need for explanation; this is why we need the expertise of journalists to do this work," Basak Tezcan, who leads Facebook's sustainability team in Germany, told DW.</p><p>Content that has been rated false or altered will be labelled and will be limited in its distribution. It won't be deleted, though, unless it contributes to "the risk of imminent violence or physical harm," according to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/help/315131736305613?id=673052479947730&recommended_by=2593586717571940" target="_blank">Facebook's Community Guidelines</a>.</p><p>Here's the catch, though: "The fact-checking program is not meant to interfere with individual expression or debate," which means that opinion and speech from politicians, for example, isn't necessarily subjected to a fact check.</p><p>This has led to a backlash from climate activists, saying the policy is a huge loophole for climate change deniers.</p>
<h2>Pre-Bunking Instead of Debunking</h2><p>Considering the risk to society of climate misinformation, Van der Linden believes Facebook's climate misinformation trial is at least a small step in the right direction.</p><p>In the future, van der Linden hopes Facebook will work not just on debunking, but also "pre-bunking." In his <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/gch2.201600008" target="_blank">previous research</a> he has found that facts about scientific consensus can also be used to "pre-bunk" – pre-emptively debunk – the public against climate misinformation.</p><p>"Once people are exposed to a falsehood already, it's so much more difficult to undo the damage. So the better thing is a pre-bunk."</p><p>Another question is whether, as Beckedahl sees it, tech giants will agree to give independent scientists and government agencies access to their internal data so they can better understand how misinformation and climate myths spread exactly and what impact this has on society and our planet.</p><p><span></span>"Right now, it's a big black box, and the only ones who know what's really going on are the tech giants themselves — and they won't share their information. And that's a huge and dangerous asymmetry of power."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/facebook-launches-climate-project-to-tackle-misinformation/a-56713217" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em></p>
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The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway intends to insure against climate disaster. Riccardo Gangale / Flickr
By Tim Radford
London, 15 February, 2021. Bill Gates − yes, that Bill Gates − has for years been financing studies in geo-engineering: he calls it a "Break Glass in Case of Emergency" kind of tool.
But he also says, in a new book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: the Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need, that he has put much more money into the challenge of adapting to and mitigating climate change − driven by global heating powered by greenhouse emissions that are a consequence of our dependence on fossil fuels.
<p>The founder of Microsoft, now a philanthropist, says all geo-engineering approaches − to dim the sunlight, perhaps, or make clouds brighter − turn out to be relatively cheap compared with the scale of the problems ahead for the world. All the effects are relatively short-lived, so there might be no long-term impacts.</p><p>But the third thing they have in common is that the technical challenges to implementing them would be as nothing compared with the political hurdles such ambitions must face.</p>
<h3>Not for Dummies</h3><p>There are some very encouraging things about this disarming book, and one of them is that on every page it addresses the messy uncertainties of the real world, rather than an ideal set of solutions.</p><p>People who have already thought a lot about the hazards and complexities of global temperature rise might be tempted to dismiss it as Climate Change for Dummies. They'd be wrong.</p><p>First, Gates addresses a global audience that includes (for instance) <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-06/prc-toa062320.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Republican voters, fewer than one in four of whom understand that climate change is a consequence of what humans have done</a>.</p><p>Then Gates writes as an engineer. He starts from the basics and arrives swiftly and by the shortest route at a series of firm conclusions: sophisticated, but still outlined with considerable clarity and a happy trick of pinning big answers to down-to-earth analogies.</p><p>Crude oil, he calculates, "is cheaper than a soft drink." By mid-century "climate change could be just as deadly as Covid-19, and by 2100 it could be five times as deadly."</p>
<p>And population growth creates prodigious demands: by 2060, the world's building stock will double. "That's like putting up another New York City every month for 40 years."</p><p>I call it a disarming book: yes, he concedes that the world is not lacking in rich men with big ideas about what other people should do; yes, he flew a private plane to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Paris-Agreement-2015" target="_blank">the Paris Conference in 2015</a>. He doesn't deny being a rich guy with an opinion and an "absurdly high" carbon footprint. But he believes it is an informed opinion, and he's always trying to learn more.</p><p>And then he gets on with clarifying the big challenges. Yes, there's no choice: the world has to get to zero-carbon. It's going to be difficult to achieve the technologies, the political will, the international consensus. Humans have to accomplish something gigantic, much faster than anything ever done before.</p>
<h3>Simple Message</h3><p>He turns to the details: the questions that need to be addressed; the separate problems of electrical energy, of manufacture, of diet and agriculture, of transport, of adaptation; government policy, citizen choice and so on.</p><p>He touches on biofuels, nuclear power ("this might sound self-serving, given that I own an advanced nuclear company"), global development, global health, international co-operation and individual choices, all with the same brisk clarity. There already exists a huge literature of climate change: this is a useful addition.</p><p>That may be because he keeps the message simple from the start. Right now humans add 51 billion tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere every year. To avoid the worst effects of climate change, we have to emit none.</p><p>"There are two numbers you need to know about climate change," he writes in his opening sentences. "The first is 51 billion. The second is zero." </p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from Climate News Network.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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Michael Mann photo inset by Joshua Yospyn.
By Jeff Masters, Ph.D.
The New Climate War: the fight to take back our planet is the latest must-read book by leading climate change scientist and communicator Michael Mann of Penn State University.
<p>Published Jan. 12, 2021, <em>The New Climate War</em> describes how outright <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-denier" target="_self">denial</a> of the physical evidence of human-caused climate change simply is no longer credible. It describes in explicit detail how forces of denial and delay – fossil fuel companies, right-wing partisans, media and talking heads, and oil-funded governments – continue to profit from our dependence on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuels</a>. It explores how they have shifted to new tactics, using "an array of powerful Ds: disinformation, deceit, divisiveness, deflection, delay, despair-mongering, and doomism."</p>
<p>In better understanding how prospects for climate action still are threatened, readers will learn fascinating climate history and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/science/">science</a>, and will be uplifted by Mann's take on how close society may be to a tipping point on solving the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a>. "A clean energy revolution and climate stabilization are achievable with current technology," Mann writes. "All we require are policies to incentivize the needed shift."</p><p>The new Mann book consists of nine sections:</p><p>The first two chapters, "The Architects of Misinformation and Misdirection" and "The Climate Wars," outline the history of climate science denial over the years.</p>
<p><strong>The Crying Indian' and the Birth of the Deflection Campaign</strong> details how vested interests use <em>deflection</em> campaigns to defeat policies they dislike. A classic example is the iconic "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7OHG7tHrNM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Crying Indian</a>" commercial of the 1970s, which alerted viewers to accumulating glass bottle and can waste litter. The commercial was part of a successful deflection campaign by the beverage industry to blame the public rather than corporations, emphasizing individual responsibility over collective action and regulations.</p>
<p><strong></strong><strong>It's YOUR Fault</strong> describes how fossil fuel interests, using <em>deflection</em> campaigns, "are actually all too happy to talk about the environment. They just want to keep the conversation around individual responsibility, not systemic change or corporate culpability." Mann also details how deflection campaigns criticize individuals for their air travel to attend conferences.</p><p>Internet bots and trolls from oil-rich Russia are also involved in deflection campaigns, Mann writes. He writes that barbs aimed at 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton "appeared to come from the environmental left, criticizing her climate policies (for example, her position on fracking). We now know that many of those attacks were actually Russian trolls and bots seeking to convince younger, greener progressives that there was no difference between the two candidates (so they might as well stay home)." Mann writes also that Russia is believed to have helped instigate the 2018 'Yellow Vest' revolts that undercut French governmental efforts to introduce a carbon tax.</p><p>Mann describes a number of "wedge" campaigns run to divide climate advocates. He points to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/21/climate-tweets-twitter-bots-analysis" target="_blank">a 2020 news story in The Guardian</a> reporting that "the social media conversation over the climate crisis is being reshaped by an army of automated Twitter bots." That article estimated that "a quarter of all tweets about climate on an average day are produced by bots," with a goal of "distorting the online discourse to include far more climate science denialism than it would otherwise."</p>
<p><strong>Put a Price on It. </strong><em><strong>Or Not.</strong></em> This chapter begins with Mann's concerns that "the fuel industry has been granted the greatest market subsidy ever: the privilege to dump its waste products into the atmosphere at no charge." When <em>implicit</em> subsidies are included like the health costs and environmental pollution damage, including the damage done by climate change, Mann writes, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/explainer-the-challenge-of-defining-fossil-fuel-subsidies" target="_blank">estimated</a> subsidies of over $5 trillion were paid in the year 2015 alone. These subsidies need to end, Mann argues, preferring a price on carbon emissions to force polluters to pay for the climate damage done by their product, fossil fuels, and a tilt giving an advantage to clean and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> forms.</p><p>Mann rejects flat-out concerns over a potential carbon tax. For instance, he writes that "whether a carbon tax is progressive or regressive depends on how it is designed. A fee-and-dividend method, for example, returns any revenue raised back to the people."</p><p>Mann also expresses support for supply-side measures like "blocking pipeline construction, banning fracking, stopping mountain-top-removal coal mining, divesting in fossil fuel companies, and putting a halt to most new fossil fuel infrastructure."</p>
<p>In <strong>Sinking the Competition</strong>, Mann backs explicit incentives for renewable energy and elimination of incentives for fossil fuels. He says fossil fuel interests and their backers have "put their thumbs on the scale by promoting programs that favor fossil fuel energy while sabotaging those that incentivize renewables, and engaging in propaganda campaigns to discredit renewable energy as a viable alternative to fossil fuels."</p>
<p><strong>The Non-Solution Solution</strong> chapter details Mann's concerns that those opposing climate action promote "solutions" (natural gas, carbon capture, geo-engineering) that Mann argues aren't real solutions at all. "Part of their strategy is using soothing words and terms – 'bridge fuels,' 'clean coal,' 'adaptation,' 'resilience' – that convey the illusion of action but, in context, are empty promises," he writes. Mann's preferred "viable path forward on climate involves a combination of energy efficiency, electrification, and decarbonization of the grid through an array of complementary renewable energy sources. The problem is that fossil fuel interests lose out in that scenario, and so they have used their immense wealth and influence to stymie any efforts to move in that direction."</p>
<p><strong>The Truth Is Bad Enough</strong> decries obsessive pessimism and "doomism" as unhelpful to tackling the climate crisis. "Exaggeration of the climate threat by purveyors of doom – we'll call them 'doomists' – is unhelpful at best," he writes. "Indeed, doomism today arguably poses a greater threat to climate action than outright denial. For if catastrophic warming of the planet were truly inevitable and there were no agency on our part in averting it, why should we do anything?"</p>
<p><strong>Meeting the Challenge</strong> presents a summary of Dr. Mann's four-point battle plan, which he outlines in the introduction to the book:</p><p><em>Disregard the Doomsayers:</em> The misguided belief that "it's too late" to act has been co-opted by fossil fuel interests and those advocating for them, Mann argues. It's just another way of legitimizing business-as-usual and a continued reliance on fossil fuels. Overt doom and gloom arguments should be ignored.</p><p><em>A Child Shall Lead Them:</em> Youths are fighting to save their planet, and there is a moral authority and clarity in their message that only the most jaded can disregard. Youths are the game-changers climate advocates have been waiting for, and their actions, methods, and idealism are models for all.</p><p><em>Educate, Educate, Educate:</em> Most hard-core climate-change deniers are unmovable, with an ideology impervious to facts. Don't waste time and effort trying to convince them. Instead, work with and help inform victims of climate change disinformation campaigns so they can join efforts to combat the climate challenge.</p><p><em>Changing the System Requires Systemic Change:</em> Those responsible for fossil fuel disinformation engage in either-or arguments rather than address larger systemic issues and consider incentives. Policies need to incentivize shifts away from fossil fuel burning toward a clean, green global economy, and those policies warrant the support of elected leaders.</p><p>The bottom line on <em>The New Climate War</em>: The book could benefit from more graphics and cartoons as complements to its 267 pages of text. Overall, though, the book still is a must-read for every climate-savvy and climate-dependent. (Only air breathers need apply!)</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/01/scientist-mike-manns-must-read-book-the-new-climate-war/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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For a Path Forward on Climate, Let’s Learn From the Original New Deal
16 December 2020
Insights + Opinion
USDA Photo by Preston Keres
By J. Mijin Cha and Manuel Pastor
You may not know it, but Democrats and Republicans share a growing concern about the climate and environment. With extreme weather events becoming more common, many young Republicans now question their allegiance to a party that denies the reality of climate change. After the destructive environmental policies of the Trump administration, there are high hopes among many Americans that progress will be possible under a new administration — even if Biden's reluctant to abandon fracking or adopt all the language of a "Green New Deal."
<p>But to envision a path forward on environmental policy, we should remember some key lessons from the original New Deal, the 1930s-era policies that pulled the United States out of the Great Depression through a combination of relief programs, public-works projects, financial reforms and progressive regulation.</p><p>The first key lesson: The New Deal was implemented in DC, but many of its policies emerged from earlier state experiments. A second point: The space for progressive presidential action was opened up by labor and grassroots organizing that <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/go-out-and-make-me-do-it_b_281631" target="_blank">didn't just rely on elected leaders</a> but shifted the political calculus of what was possible.</p>
<p>We should also be careful not to repeat past mistakes. For the New Deal had a major Achilles' heel: In an attempt to secure support from Southern Democrats, many of its programs left Black Americans and other people of color behind (such as by excluding domestic and agricultural workers from Social Security).</p><p>For a new national environmental policy to be successful, we need to lift up state experimentation, provide political pressure and political cover for doing what's right, and be sure to center, not derail, racial equity.</p><p>Our scholarship has been <a href="https://dornsife.usc.edu/pere/roadmap-equitable-low-carbon-future/" target="_blank">looking at just these issues</a> for the past few years, examining how some states are trying to transition off fossil fuel in a way that protects workers and communities and addresses environmental injustice. Known as "just transition," this notion focuses not only on the technical and policy aspects of power generation but also on the nitty-gritty of power-building to organize for change.</p>
<p>There's good news to report from states and localities. For example, in keeping with its ambitious approach to greenhouse gas reduction over the past decade and a half, California recently declared that the state would phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, creating impetus for a market in electric and other zero-emission vehicles. Meanwhile, in New York, more than 200 groups have come together as NY Renews and won the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t3ay4o445DGwPPhBtVNFk1FHfF9LJKWs/view" target="_blank">most ambitious climate protection bill</a> in the nation. Passed in 2019, it will dramatically limit emissions, invest in vulnerable communities, and chart a path to 100% carbon-free electricity.</p><p>Part of what's making such policy change possible is power-building among those whose voices have traditionally been sidelined. As a NY Renews coalition member told us, "Power is built when you stand shoulder-to-shoulder and when you stand up for someone else, not just yourself." So the group built a broad coalition, ranging from labor unions to environmental justice organizations to faith-based organizations, that aimed not just to reduce emissions but to support vulnerable communities.</p>
<p>A similar success story can be found in Arvin, California, a small town in the southern San Joaquin Valley, where local advocates have shown how to dig in against Big Oil. After launching a multifaceted campaign to keep new oil and gas drilling 300 feet from residential or commercial properties, Arvin quickly became a battleground pitting over-polluted residents against the behemoth fossil fuel industry. Despite the pressure, advocates launched a full-scale electoral push that brought in a new, progressive mayor and a wave of young Latina city council members who passed the first setback ordinance in California.</p><p>These are examples of state and local innovation — inspired by grassroots activism and multiracial and multisector coalitions — that should now make their way to the federal level, much as the New Deal picked up ideas such as unemployment insurance, minimum wages and labor protections from <a href="http://bostonreview.net/politics/thomas-kochan-what-would-frances-perkins-do" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">experiments in New York, Wisconsin and Massachusetts</a>.</p>
<p>The combination of state experimentation, local power-building and attention to racial justice is all the more urgent now because we also need to make our way to a post-climate, post-COVID world. Both our environmental and public health challenges have some common themes and present an opportunity for a new narrative: In each arena we need to prioritize those with the highest risks, act to shield those we may never know, and learn to replace "me" — the spirit of self-interest — with "we," the impulses of solidarity with people and the planet.</p><p>On the policy side, we can clearly learn from state efforts to address climate change. But just as important will be learning from state and local organizing. The secret sauce is not in the technology: moving away from an oil- and coal-fueled power grid to a people-driven power structure will require the science of coalition-building.</p><p>Power must be built to hold a new administration accountable, push it further toward bold climate policy and economic and racial justice, and create the political space for a massive federal investment in public health and clean energy. The future of America and the planet depend on it.</p>
<p><em>J. Mijin Cha is an assistant professor of urban and environmental policy at Occidental College.</em></p><p><em>Manuel Pastor </em><em>is a professor of sociology at the University of Southern California and the director of USC's Equity Research Institute.</em></p><p><em>The opinions expressed above are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of The Revelator, the Center for Biological Diversity or their employees.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/climate-new-deal/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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How To Talk To People About the Climate Crisis When Scary Facts Are Not Enough
25 November 2020
Insights + Opinion
Climate change can evoke intense feelings, but a conversational approach can help. Reed Kaestner / Getty Images
Anger, anxiety, overwhelm … climate change can evoke intense feelings.
<p>"It's easy to feel dwarfed in the context of such a global systemic issue," says psychologist Renée Lertzman.<br/></p><p>She says that when people experience these feelings, they often shut down and push information away. So to encourage climate action, she advises not bombarding people with frightening facts.</p>
<iframe style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/16550327/height/45/theme/standard/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/" height="45" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>"When we lead with information, we are actually unwittingly walking right into a situation that is set up to undermine our efforts," she says.<br></p><p>She says if you want to engage people on the topic, take a compassionate approach. Ask people what they know and want to learn. Then have a conversation.</p><p>This conversational approach may seem at odds with the urgency of the issue, but Lertzman says it can get results faster.</p><p>"When we take a compassion-based approach, we are actively disarming defenses so that people are actually more willing and able to respond and engage quicker," she says. "And we don't have time right now to mess around, and so I do actually come to this topic with a sense of urgency… We do not have time to not take this approach."</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/11/why-frightening-facts-dont-always-move-people-to-action-on-climate-change/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>
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In Parting Blow to Climate Science, Trump Admin Removes Expert in Charge of National Climate Assessment
10 November 2020
Politics
A girl places an American flag on the rubble of her grandparents' home after it was destroyed by a tornado on April 30, 2014 in Louisville, Mississippi. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
The Trump administration has reassigned the scientist in charge of the National Climate Assessment, the most important federal report on the climate crisis.
<p>The National Climate Assessment, which is released every four years, combines the expertise of 13 federal agencies along with independent scientists, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/09/climate/michael-kuperberg-climate-assessment.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The New York Times explained</a>. The last assessment, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-report-takeaways-2621535494.html" target="_self">released in 2018</a>, said unequivocally that the impacts of climate change were already being felt in the U.S. and would get worse if nothing was done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Trump administration tried to bury the report by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/us-climate-report-black-friday-2621301116.html" target="_self">releasing it Thanksgiving weekend</a>, and President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a> <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-rejects-us-climate-report-2621629346.html" target="_self">claimed</a> that he did not believe it. Now, there is concern the administration is trying to influence the findings of the next assessment.</p><p>"Even in their final days, they are continuing to attempt to bury the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change," <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Union of Concerned Scientists</a> senior climate scientist Rachel Licker told The New York Times.</p>
<p>The administration on Friday reassigned Michael Kuperberg, a climate scientist who runs the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which produces the report. The move was confirmed to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/09/trump-removes-climate-program-director/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> by one current federal official and one former White House official, both of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity. Don Wuebbles, a University of Illinois climate scientist and friend of Kuperberg's, who directed the Fourth National Climate Assessment, also confirmed the news.</p><p>"Mike called me on Saturday and said he was just notified that he was let go, that his detail was over and that he should go back to the Department of Energy," Wuebbles told The Washington Post.</p>
<p>Kuperberg had led USGCRP since 2015 and had expected to continue to oversee the completion of the Fifth National Climate Assessment. Two people close to the administration told The New York Times he would likely be replaced by David Legates, a new appointment to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who has worked with climate denying groups and argued that carbon dioxide is "plant food and not a pollutant."</p><p>It is unclear what influence the change in leadership will have given that former Vice President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/joe-biden" target="_self">Joe Biden</a> has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/biden-wins-first-climate-election-2648783892.html" target="_self">won</a> the presidential election and will take office Jan. 20.</p>
<p>"It might be a short-term appointment," Competitive Enterprise Institute Director and former member of Trump's transition team Myron Ebell, who approves of Legates' appointment, told The New York Times. "If he only directs it for two months and a week, then he may not get very far, but let's see what can get done in two months. Maybe the next administration will throw it all away, but maybe some changes will be adopted, who knows."</p><p>One concern is that, if Biden replaces Trump's new appointment, it could further delay the next climate assessment, which was due in 2022 but has been pushed back to 2023. The new appointee could also influence the writers of the report, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/09/trump-removes-head-of-climate-science-report-435620" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">POLITICO pointed out</a>. Nominations for report authors are due Nov. 14, and the new USGCRP head could select people who deny mainstream climate science. However, a mainstream U.S. Geological Survey climate scientist named Betsy Weatherhead has been put in charge of coordinating the assessment itself, according to The Washington Post.</p><p>"I would be more concerned if Trump had won the election," Kathy Jacobs, who ran the Third National Climate Assessment and now directs the Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions at the University of Arizona, told The Washington Post. "If USGCRP is rudderless for a few months, I don't consider that a devastating situation. The question is: What are they going to do in the interim?"</p>
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Exxon Mobil Refinery is seen from the top of the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on March 5, 2017. WClarke / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 4.0
Exxon Mobil will lay off an estimated 14,000 workers, about 15% of its global workforce, including 1,900 workers in the U.S., the company announced Thursday.
<p>Analysts said the layoffs are part of an effort by the beleaguered company to maintain its stock dividend despite sharply reduced demand during the coronavirus pandemic. </p><p>While other oil majors have leaned into reducing emissions and building out renewable energy, Exxon has doubled down on oil. </p>
<p>It plans to <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VXkl_C7Kdv9sW2hPj8t2QWZy2W9ccHTJ4hPvlPN3NdJHk3p_9LV1-WJV7CgMmCW3LS1-t3pMmTrW2dBgj85Xb1R7W2nJ0st59tx0YW3465Bp1TbXg1W37nfX23g4lYBN4P7T8rKXz0fW3PGr6f47tYZ5W1DBtjn6R3xbmW8gw91P9jrw7MW86gmKM6DwN1BW1C-w167TjNdkW1WsKvK75dTdQW8j1G351DdpMhW1bdhGw7FyJnJN6KRmSlnBH4BW1Kfvq762ghcjW7HHmDy3vvvNgW6LDqfL74bg6WW3rLBnB8y8rvyW5GmhVM4v7PG_W4Q4Xz08HJnz7W4nBy-y3XbRx0W9gHpcj8NXKzJW8zXmHf8GBP1yW5sXMCS6zgH1_W1N7t5b6QDm47W6-vPC94QPy9zW5rFKdc753Y1H344X1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">increase its greenhouse gas pollution</a> in the coming years.</p><p>News of the layoffs comes as a former Exxon employee, who consistently received strong performance reviews and was widely respected by his colleagues, says he was pushed out of the company after he raised Exxon's climate denial in a Q&A session with company executives.</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/exxonmobil-layoffs/exxon-to-cut-14000-global-jobs-including-1900-in-u-s-as-pandemic-hurts-demand-idUSKBN27E30U?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=98644484&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9uQprMXUg6iyvoNDLff_7apAyEj6b_6aCMkPoE4YUVI7X6DDtZ7s_uanjL-rMxsFWeLsrkDyp-33vvACTMCqrtmUJSr5Ern4GlegWIVNLH_W3G724&utm_content=98644484&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Reuters</a>, <a href="https://login.politicopro.com/?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fsubscriber.politicopro.com%2Farticle%2F2020%2F10%2Fexxon-mobil-to-cut-1900-us-jobs-as-pandemic-chokes-fuel-demand-2015160%3Futm_campaign%3DHot%2520News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=98644484&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9HSBwxvAIMrWjyFmy_2-j3gQF2u5Fxs1xg8MwGiKmx4OhWGCpFn3UkHH7RclPer5Gq-9W46J48imDmhpiwKLaLdg47faZ9GyhNYfBxxU9gLoXqwV8&utm_content=98644484&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Politico Pro,</a> <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-29/exxon-cutting-1-900-u-s-jobs-in-response-to-virus-driven-slump?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=98644484&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8iqy_Nsx6C0BcQ9tP75IeFhTFP5_INuh0OMuCAtUVQrje6pFkVJCTd_M9VfPBpT4daRhqaSU1GlzZPm9pvcKlBMUHskzL0ErH0Zjm-Hb_2bCu6amM&utm_content=98644484&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/exxon-to-lay-off-1-900-u-s-employees-as-pandemic-wreaks-havoc-on-oil-demand-11603986398?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=98644484&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9IISEDbrdgzTXs-yRl4dbvWlN-fnWX3KU6w6xocquxtprMAMPnR7W-WfRwHma9E9tBvykPVjyQPwA5_Q1hU-7g3AE4c5Ix2TcqTZHn5zbmEe-Hy50&utm_content=98644484&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a>, <a href="https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Exxon-To-Cut-1900-Jobs-In-The-US.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=98644484&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8MkQCEX3jVp_A4EB7PIQxvaG5UXc_qewcnViGhUULlzhqte5miAogpby0K2A70nf2NZCrtx6iLtZkrL8Au6zTYuVvzoDinl3IUeBokSWRriiB0agc&utm_content=98644484&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Oil Price</a>, <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Exxon-lay-off-1900-US-employees-mostly-in-Houston-15685353.php?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=98644484&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_T_wesrkbPA54TVqsNMVOVy-DVtOjcxn3Vq3U5i6OP_zh0Rzxlj-H6jX64nUVZbRgZroVfYsPWt0OLkwqhJGcGigIy7qQ7LYqVat1wWak4UhJzk0k&utm_content=98644484&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Houston Chronicle</a>; Employee retribution: <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvx84q/exxon-silences-staff-alarmed-by-the-climate-crisis-says-former-employee-enrique-rosero?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=98644484&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--pCb8jL0WB6VcsJbgX_Ej_YSk_VbYV5aju-qis2s0D7aA6zyHTnWaUxKl-8RzO8eIEQI2x8FqLEiMWPjwAOoIBGtUKZMroZZGq3nGbMXx27Tb1gSM&utm_content=98644484&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Vice</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A meteorologist monitors weather in NOAA's Center for Weather and Climate Prediction on July 2, 2013 in Riverdale, Maryland. Mark Wilson / Getty Images
The Trump White House is now set to appoint two climate deniers to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in one month.
<p>First, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/david-legates-noaa-2647660690.html" target="_self">David Legates</a>, a University of Delaware professor who has questioned the scientific consensus that human activity drives the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> and has argued carbon dioxide emissions are actually beneficial, was named deputy assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation. Now, the Trump administration is in the process of appointing meteorologist Ryan Maue to serve as the agency's chief scientist, two NOAA officials confirmed to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/09/21/noaa-chief-scientist-maue/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Washington Post Monday</a>. Maue, who runs the site <a href="http://weathermodels.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">weathermodels.com</a>, does accept that the burning of greenhouse gases is impacting the global climate. However, he has spoken out against worst-case-scenario climate predictions and criticized activists for using <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extreme-weather" target="_self">extreme weather</a> events to argue for reducing the burning of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuels</a>.</p>
<p>"For the second time this month, a person who misrepresents, distorts, and disagrees with climate science is being placed in a science position at NOAA," professor <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/katharine-hayhoe-climate-change-2550366098.html" target="_self">Katharine Hayhoe</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KHayhoe/status/1308235952381362178" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tweeted</a> in response to the news.</p><p>Maue previously served as an adjunct scholar with the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank that questioned mainstream climate science, The Washington Post pointed out. He co-wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal challenging the climate predictions of NASA scientist James Hansen, which have been supported by peer-reviewed studies. Most recently, he has lashed out against California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his supporters for linking the climate crisis to the state's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/wildfires-california-washington-oregon-photos-2647585008.html" target="_self">record-breaking wildfire season</a>.</p><p>"Seems the Democrats have coordinated their efforts to use the devastating California fires as an opportunity to score political points in the upcoming election by blaming them solely on climate change (and Trump)," he wrote in a deleted tweet recovered by The Washington Post.</p>
<p>However, a number of studies have shown that changes to the climate are making the state's fires more frequent and more intense.</p><p>As chief scientist, Maue would influence NOAA's research agenda for oceanic and atmospheric science, as well as its scientific integrity policy. He still has to pass ethics and security reviews, but would not require Senate confirmation.</p><p>Other scientists questioned whether Maue had the credentials for the role.</p><p>"Normally, when people are chosen for high-profile positions relating to climate change, I've heard of them. I have no idea who this person is, other than I've seen him saying things about climate that are wrong on social media and in op-eds. I suspect that he has the one and only necessary qualification for the job: a willingness to advance the agenda of climate deniers," Texas A&M climate scientist Andrew Dessler <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewDessler/status/1308241184234631168" target="_blank">tweeted</a> in reaction to Maue's likely appointment. "To me, this emphasizes how thin the climate deniers' bench is. I'm sure they'd prefer to have someone with actual credentials take the job, but this shows that credentialized experts who dispute mainstream climate science simply don't exist."</p>
<p>Maue told <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/climate-science-critic-be-chief-scientist-key-us-climate-research-agency" target="_blank">E&E News</a> he believes in "lukewarming."</p><p>"Lukewarming is not climate denial," Maue said. "Most of us on this side of the issue believe in lower climate sensitivity. We don't believe there's going to be 5° of warming; we figure it's at the lower end of 1.5°."</p><p>However, most scientists think the world could hit 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels within the next two decades and then continue to heat up.</p>
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Patagonia's current logo. Ajay Suresh / CC BY 2.0
Eco-friendly outdoor brand Patagonia has a colorful and timely message stitched into the tags of its latest line of shorts. "VOTE THE A**HOLES," it reads.
<div id="9552f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b2fa13e0488f5bc698dfdbb0b7393780"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1304825415010320391" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">PATAGONIA’s New Tag! https://t.co/llY71SwsQG</div> — Outlander Magazine (@Outlander Magazine)<a href="https://twitter.com/StreetFashion01/statuses/1304825415010320391">1599929596.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The new tags are already a hit online. They became a trending topic on Twitter after a photo of the message went viral, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/15/business/patagonia-voting-tags/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNN Business reported</a> Tuesday. Company spokesperson Tessa Byars confirmed to <a href="https://www.euronews.com/living/2020/09/16/patagonia-gets-political-with-labels-saying-vote-the-a-holes-out7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Euronews Living</a> that the tags were genuine, and that "a**holes" in this case meant <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-denier" target="_self">climate deniers</a> specifically.<br></p><p>"It refers to politicians from any part who deny or disregard the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crises</a> and ignore science, not because they aren't aware of it, but because their pockets are lined with money from oil and gas interests," Byars said.</p>
<p>Patagonia is no stranger to taking a stand on environmental issues. Spokesperson Corley Kenna told CNN that CEO Yvon Chouinard has been saying "vote the a**holes out" for years when talking about climate-denying politicians. The company also sued President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a> for his decision to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-shrinking-bears-ears-2515965614.html" target="_self">shrink</a> Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/national-monuments" target="_self">national monuments</a> in Utah and even <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/patagonia-ceo-politics-2613614515.html" target="_self">endorsed</a> two Senate candidates in 2018 because of their support for protecting <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/public-lands" target="_self">public lands</a>. It also decided to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/patagonia-donates-10-million-2621774314.html" target="_self">give away</a> its $10 million windfall from the Trump tax cut to conservation groups.<br></p><p>The company's latest political message is sewn into its 2020 Men's and Women's Road to Regenerative Organic Stand-up Shorts collection, according to Euronews Living.</p><p>"[W]e have been standing up to climate deniers for almost as long as we've been making those shorts," Byars told Euronews Living.</p><p>The company first started making the shorts in 1973, CNN said.</p>
<p>But Patagonia is doing more to encourage voting than just sharing a cheeky message with customers, the company's director of copy Brad Wieners explained on <a href="https://twitter.com/BradWieners/status/1304818097807790081?s=20" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. The company has worked with BallotReady to design a <a href="https://www.patagonia.com/elections/" target="_blank">widget on their website</a> that helps people make a voting plan for November.</p><p>"We need to elect climate leaders," the website reads. "The 2020 US Senate races will have a significant, long-lasting impact on the strength of our nation's climate policies and the existence of our wild places."</p><p>The website also features a map where the company recommends certain candidates, such as Barbara Bollier in Kansas for her support of renewable energy and Steve Bullock in Montana for his defense of public lands.</p><p>On Election Day 2020, Patagonia will repeat its practice from 2016 and 2018 and close its stores, headquarters and distribution center to encourage voting, CNN reported.</p>
<p>But the company is going farther this year. For the first time, it will also give employees up to four days off to train and work as poll workers to address the national shortage, Patagonia told EcoWatch in an email. It is also providing information on state voting policies in its retail stores.</p><p>"Patagonia is doing our part to ensure this November's elections are accessible for all eligible voters," Patagonia general counsel Hilary Dessouky said in the email. "Already this election has been marred by misinformation about voting, roadblocks to accessible voting and threats to cut essential voting services like the US Postal Service, which allow people to vote safely and securely. Patagonia is prioritizing time off to vote, and we encourage others to vote, serve as poll workers and share localized information to help make sure all voices are heard this November."</p>
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Climate Denier Who Supports Fossil Fuel Emissions Is Named to Leadership Role at NOAA
15 September 2020
Politics
Brent Bozell, Founder and President of the Media Research Center, former Governor Sarah Palin, Dr. David Legates and David Rothbard, Executive Producer of the film and President of CFACT, speak during the "Climate Hustle" panel on April 14, 2016 in Washington, DC. Kris Connor / Getty Images
By Julia Conley
Climate scientists were aghast Monday at the news that David Legates, a University of Delaware professor who has repeatedly questioned the scientific consensus that human activity is causing the climate crisis and has claimed that carbon dioxide emissions are beneficial, has been named by the Trump administration to a top leadership role at the federal government's climate research agency.
<p>Legates was appointed—without the knowledge of several NOAA officials, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/09/13/noaa-hires-david-legates-climate/" target="_blank">according to </a>one person at the agency—to serve as deputy assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction and will report directly to acting NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs.</p><p>Gretchen Goldman of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) called the appointment "a slap in the face to NOAA scientists who work daily to conduct and communicate climate science to the public and decision makers."</p><p>"Until now, NOAA has largely evaded the kind of anti-science political appointees that have devastated the EPA and Interior," Goldman<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/09/13/noaa-hires-david-legates-climate/" target="_blank"> told</a> the <em>Washington Post.</em> "With Dr. Legates we risk seeing the same kind of politicization of science and corruption of ethics."</p>
<div id="67907" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="07b8bffcbfbd7bd0664b0b344cd9882e"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1305343823430770689" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Oh my word. NOAA taps David Legates, professor who questions the seriousness and severity of global warming, for to… https://t.co/CyvTD2OtLS</div> — Kalee Kreider (@Kalee Kreider)<a href="https://twitter.com/kaleekreider/statuses/1305343823430770689">1600053194.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Legates served from 2005 to 2011 as Delaware's state climatologist, and stepped down under pressure from former Democratic Gov. Ruth Ann Minner when it came to her attention that his views on the climate <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/david-legates" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">were</a> "not aligned with those of [her] administration."</p><p>"I am directing you to offer any future statements on this or other public policy matters only on behalf of yourself or the University of Delaware, and not as state climatologist," Minner <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/david-legates" target="_blank">wrote</a> to Legates in 2007 after he wrote an amicus brief in agreement with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which opposed Delaware's attempt to force the federal regulation of greenhouse gases.</p><p>The appointment, which one anonymous NOAA official <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/09/13/noaa-hires-david-legates-climate/" target="_blank">referred to </a>as a surprising "midnight hire over the weekend," comes as the agency is monitoring the approach of <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/09/14/912658940/sally-is-expected-to-be-a-hurricane-when-it-hits-gulf-coast-tuesday" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hurricane Sally</a>. The storm rapidly strengthened on Monday and was expected to cause an "extremely dangerous and life-threatening storm surge" on the Gulf Coast. </p><p>NOAA's National Weather Service has also been issuing warnings to the west coast about the wildfires that have overwhelmed the region in recent days, killing <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54130785" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more than 30 people</a>. Agency scientists have contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) reports on the climate crisis and the warming of the globe, including the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/08/un-experts-warn-climate-catastrophe-2040-without-rapid-and-unprecedented-global" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2018 study</a> which warned that greenhouse gas emissions will pose an increasing threat to human life if they are not drastically reduced in the next 10 to 20 years. </p><p>The appointment of Legates to help lead the agency undermines that message, critics say, considering he counts among his climate science work a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/09/13/noaa-hires-david-legates-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">paper </a>called "The IPCC Reconsidered," a Heartland Institute-funded project which called for more, not fewer, fossil fuel emissions.</p>
<p>"The juxtaposition of the apocalyptic wildfires and the announcement of David Legates' appointment is mind-boggling," Jane Lubchenco, who served as NOAA administrator under President Barack Obama, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/09/13/noaa-hires-david-legates-climate/" target="_blank">told</a> the <em>Post</em>. "Just at the time when we need continued truth from the nation's lead climate agency, a climate denier is hired. This is a travesty."<br></p><p>In his new role, Lubchenco warned, Legates will "be in a position to squelch the free flow of accurate scientific information to the public, to distort or manipulate scientific findings, curtail monitoring and research, and create an overall chilling atmosphere for the high-quality science and scientists that the nation needs."</p><p>Other examples of Legates' work include a <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/polar-bears-and-climate-change-what-does-the-science-say" target="_blank">2007 paper</a>—partially funded by Koch Industries, the American Petroleum Institute, and ExxonMobil—which questioned whether the climate crisis is destroying polar bears' habitats as temperatures in the Arctic rise twice as fast as the global average, and sea ice vanishes at a rate of 4% per decade. </p><p>Along with former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Legates spoke in 2016 at a<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/david-legates" target="_blank"> panel discussion </a>on Capitol Hill—when both chambers of Congress were controlled by Republicans—about the documentary "Climate Hustle," which called into question the existence of the scientific consensus regarding human-caused climate change. The panel addressed the question: "Are [scientists] trying to control the climate...or you?"</p><p>Brian Kahn, managing editor of <em>Earther</em>, tweeted about a talk Legates gave at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in 2018 in which the professor posited that the heating of the planet holds benefit for humans and wildlife, such as the growth of larger crabs.</p>
<div id="46223" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="03188a7c8cff9515eb1acde9829f0496"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1304882129633935360" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">NOAA just hired David Legates, a man who has legitimately said with a straight face that climate change is fine bec… https://t.co/AZh6AY5iaG</div> — Brian Kahn (@Brian Kahn)<a href="https://twitter.com/blkahn/statuses/1304882129633935360">1599943117.0</a></blockquote></div>
<div id="a0d1d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d84dab8726d0856d3476ea6eed1705c4"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1304884645583089666" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Anyways, here's the crab love CO2 slide from when he gave the talk at CPAC. This man is being paid with the public'… https://t.co/kpQ84CNkZB</div> — Brian Kahn (@Brian Kahn)<a href="https://twitter.com/blkahn/statuses/1304884645583089666">1599943717.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Legates' presentation was a "total cesspool of misinformation about how carbon dioxide is good, actually," tweeted Kahn.</p><p>"He's not just in left field—he's not even near the ballpark," Lubchenco <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/09/12/912301325/longtime-climate-science-denier-hired-at-noaa" target="_blank">told</a> <em>NPR.</em></p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/14/travesty-climate-denier-who-has-argued-favor-fossil-fuel-emissions-named-leadership?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank">Common Dreams.</a></em></p>From Your Site Articles
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New Study Finds Climate Change Denial Received Disproportionate Media Coverage for Decades
29 July 2020
Climate
Mainstream news outlets gave disproportionate coverage to climate denial and opponents of climate action for nearly thirty years, a new study found. Dunk / Flickr / CC by 2.0
Mainstream news outlets gave disproportionate coverage to climate denial and opponents of climate action for nearly thirty years, a new study found.
<p>The <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VWBlt-2J6XS7W1lpH6s6XJdkzVkMXxJ4d31d-N8Vtb7Z3p_9rV1-WJV7CgZJ5VwxcsD3_mLHzN8p11YZzzNrhMsB-tL-GL39W3Xl14j6tVQRvW4rkg4Z3x9F45N4RSzL_L8n9fW99C-zL74LjF2W4PG4YX52wvrBVwkCW47D6yWQN3PTT0ZP6hNCW7xczbT6VmJhPW3b36K256-DVbW5dw5NY60BSKVW63MKlV14XmkGW2r4w965z49yQW552Mmr7Jd1gWVmPGnB2XYxdKF8JWD_nxk-FW6jNWjd6X4JwMW38bpKz8bXJ6-W2HtlmM12r12RW79lLl65CL9TsW54-4Pz7hcbCMW74vZ4q39BcNyW5mZgh-6pnvn7N8QLQm78N4pr3khc1" target="_blank">research</a>, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, used plagiarism detection software to detect coverage of 1,768 press releases from 1985-2013 across nearly 35,000 articles in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. </p><p>"The way climate change has been covered in the media could help us understand why there's so much public disengagement on this issue," Rachel Wetts, the study's author and an assistant professor at Brown University's sociology department, told the Independent. </p>
<p>Even though just 10% of all press releases contained messaging against climate action, they were twice as likely to garner coverage. </p><p>Edward Mailbach, director of the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communications, called the study's conclusions unsettling. </p><p>"Rather than marginalize self-interested voices and give prominence to expert voices, these papers did just the opposite," he told Grist.</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-crisis-newspaper-coverage-science-denial-a9640706.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=92156159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8NX06pRZlyWhLQ20Z65ejydb_1XdQi1RtiE_UJnIK7AMToesasvCNHn1eS7sLXVXVr51lylXuLeEf2g4ZbCLQDp3RprMP1TrYeVX2ZC6O1sdgZpeY&utm_content=92156159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Independent</a>, <a href="https://grist.org/climate/the-curse-of-both-sidesism-how-climate-denial-skewed-media-coverage-for-30-years/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=92156159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_gnrtFekTRIFAQJGurbLGj5TSgtlmqcNze5iVlP6lCMd14DAqCHTsdbKVpborZHPlviIOuT0l8pGZWhRDxNBMJUzfMiMv3FiJ6HNpfTkCE4EdRx5w&utm_content=92156159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Grist</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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President Donald Trump welcomes Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Sept. 19, 2019, to the Oval Office of the White House. Official White House Photo by Joiyce N. Boghosian
Update, June 29: This post has been updated to include a comment from Facebook.
Facebook is coming under fire again for aiding climate change deniers. The platform opened a fact-checking loophole that allows misinformation to spread widely, even with opposition from scientists.
<p>CO2 Coalition, a non-profit with ties to the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" target="_self">Trump</a> administration and <a href="https://grist.org/article/pro-trump-billionaires-continue-to-bankroll-climate-denial/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=90130554&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--JSZ_YavmXMuHDlaLAFe5aoDzat-hYbHarhx9MmTmOfBBwxiLDRzQFT-6kBOLPVFJgm-fMLiAVXKwKZNHDXCBGBw5jtQ&utm_content=90130554&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">funded in part by climate-deniers Mercer and Koch</a>, is at the forefront of the latest dispute, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/facebook-co2-coalition-fact-checking-ads-fake-content-science-climate-change-1513311" target="_blank">Newsweek</a> reported.</p><p>The conservative group believes that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="_self">climate change</a> fears are overblown and that burning more <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuels</a> will ultimately help the planet. They have increasingly used Facebook to reach a bigger audience, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063436369?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=90130554&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_mCEO8iXWqqtkxGAyPXjMFWz_yifSYP3rXmRJZQwD3CSo25klFmUEGgs8MwF3t2AMO6Re8czubHbZh5VAi3uP_zebWfg&utm_content=90130554&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">E&E News</a> reported, and Executive Director Caleb Rossiter said that the current "battle" over climate-related posts serves as a microcosm in the overall "war" over how to reach an audience outside of conservative media.</p>
<p>"You can reach so many people both with your posts and your advertisements," Rossiter said in the news report. "We're kind of like Donald Trump. We're not happy with the treatment we're getting from the mainstream media, we resort to social media. That's where our action is in larger part."</p><p>While the most recent commotion was triggered by a <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/the-great-failure-of-the-climate-models" target="_blank">viral column Rossiter wrote in the Washington Examiner</a>, Facebook already had a complicated history with climate deniers and fact-checking.</p>
<p>In May 2018, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg hired a right-wing think tank known for climate misinformation to "figure out whether Facebook displays a liberal bias," <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/facebook-fact-checker-koch-climate-deniers-f5288be4c3f9/" target="_blank">Think Progress</a> reported. In July of the same year, Zuckerberg took additional steps towards allowing misinformation on his platform, saying that "while he won't block fake news from appearing on his site, his fact-checkers would stop it from spreading widely," the news report said.</p><p>In a dilution of that "check-and-balance," Facebook hired fact-checkers with conservative biases and a history of climate misinformation <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/facebook-factchecking-science-climate-denial-2635927165.html?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2" target="_self">in fall of 2017 and again in April 2019</a>.</p>
<p>Climate scientists were encouraged when Facebook partnered with Science Feedback last year in an expansion of their third-party fact-checking program to bring in teams of Ph.D. climate scientists to verify the accuracy of content and to lessen the platform's role in driving viral misinformation, a <a href="https://sciencefeedback.co/science-feedback-partnering-with-facebook-in-fight-against-misinformation/" target="_blank">Science Feedback release</a> stated.</p><p>That optimism was short-lived.</p><p>In August 2019, five Science Feedback scientists reviewed a Washington Examiner <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/the-great-failure-of-the-climate-models" target="_blank">column</a> by CO2 Coalition's Rossiter and Patrick Michaels. The column, titled <em>The great failure of the climate models</em>, called climate models showing warming and increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide from fossil fuels "inaccurate," <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/facebook-co2-coalition-fact-checking-ads-fake-content-science-climate-change-1513311" target="_blank">Newsweek</a> reported.</p><p><a href="https://climatefeedback.org/evaluation/washington-examiner-op-ed-cherry-picks-data-to-mislead-readers-about-climate-models-patrick-michaels-caleb-stewart-rossiter/" target="_blank">All five scientists agreed</a> that the piece "cherry-picks data and misleads readers" and tagged it as "biased" and "inaccurate" for Facebook. The piece was blocked from sharing as "false" and the coalition was prevented from running ads, reported <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063436369?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=90130554&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_mCEO8iXWqqtkxGAyPXjMFWz_yifSYP3rXmRJZQwD3CSo25klFmUEGgs8MwF3t2AMO6Re8czubHbZh5VAi3uP_zebWfg&utm_content=90130554&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">E&E News</a>.</p><p>Then came the loophole.</p>
<p>Facebook re-labeled Rossiter's piece as "opinion," allowing it to fall under a new fact-checking exception that overruled the climate scientists' "false" finding, reported E&E News. It became shareable, promotable with advertising and went viral.</p><p>The news report claimed a "conservative Facebook employee" can be credited with opening the door for the coalition and groups that attack mainstream climate science to leverage the "opinion" label to avoid fact-checking and spread misinformation.</p><p>CO2 Coalition, which requested the successful change, is celebrating the outcome. Rossiter noted to E&E News that after the "false" label was removed from his climate models piece, the coalition was allowed to buy ads again. They have since done so, with messages distorting climate change and claiming that they are "saving the people of the planet from the people who claim they are saving the planet." Those ads have received more than 50,000 impressions, Facebook data shows, as reported by E&E News.</p>
<p>The coalition and similar groups will look to Facebook to get their message to a larger audience because traditional news media "rarely seek comment on climate science from groups that reject consensus research," Rossiter said, the news report added.</p><p>Andrew Dessler, one of the five Science Feedback climate scientists who originally fact-checked CO2 Coalition's article, criticized Facebook and other social media for exempting "opinion" articles from even basic fact-checking.</p><p>"It's a powerful way to misinform people, since these groups can't win in the actual scientific arena, so they only can win in these media environments where they can pay to promote stuff," Dessler told E&E News. "It allows people to live in a bubble where you don't ever have to confront ideas that you don't want to deal with.</p><p>In response to a request for comment, a Facebook spokesperson told EcoWatch, "Our long-standing guidance to the independent fact-checkers has been that clear opinion content is not subject to fact-checking on Facebook; unsurprisingly, that includes opinion editorials." The spokesperson explained, " As our policy states clearly, if publishers want to dispute a fact-check rating, they are to do so directly with the fact-checker. Facebook's third-party fact-checkers can rate climate-related content; there has never been a prohibition on their doing so."</p><p>Additionally, Facebook posted a company blog Thursday titled <em><a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2020/06/more-context-for-news-articles-and-other-content/" target="_blank">Providing People With Additional Context About Content They Share</a>. </em>A "context" button, first created in 2018, "provides information about the sources of articles in News Feed," the blog said, and is meant "to ensure people have the context they need to make informed decisions about what to share on Facebook." Notifications will include "timeliness" and "information about the source of the link."</p>
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