Dear Jon,
As an environmental professional, I read about the impacts of climate change every day. Therefore, I hope you can forgive me when I say that I’m not always excited to read the latest United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
If you’re like me and had the urge to skip this week’s release — don’t! There is good news in it. The scientific community agrees that we already have the solutions and technology necessary to tackle climate change and, if we implement them quickly, we can avoid worst-case scenarios.
However, the report also mentions hurdles that we haven’t overcome yet — issues that are preventing us from achieving a safe and healthy climate. Namely, climate misinformation. |
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“Accurate transference of the climate science has been undermined significantly by climate change counter-movements, in both legacy and new/social media environments through misinformation.”
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The IPCC has been coordinating the global response to climate change since 1988, and has never highlighted misinformation as a threat until now. This is the second time this internationally recognized body has raised the alarm in as many months, labeling it a barrier to climate action.
Luckily, we are the solution. And as bad actors prepare to react, we want to make sure that you’re prepared to fight for truth.
After almost every IPCC report release, a tired, old false narrative re-surfaces. It’s some form of, “you’re overreacting!”
So how do we relay the urgency necessary to slow warming while not feeding into the narrative that we’re all just a bunch of alarmists? |
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Here are some talking points for anyone doubting the need for urgent climate action: |
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- Historically, IPCC predictions have been conservative. A 2012 study found that 20 years worth of IPCC reports consistently underestimated the pace and impacts of global warming. Part of the reason why is, “science's aversion to drama and dramatic conclusions.”
- Over 97% of climate experts agree humans are causing global warming. It may be surprising to you and me, but many Americans still don’t know that there is so much evidence that humans are causing global warming that scientists have stopped arguing this point. In fact, most studies find around 97% consensus among publishing climate scientists. And the greater the climate expertise, the higher the consensus.
As long as misinformation continues to undermine science, our path to a clean and healthy future remains in jeopardy. But if we work together to address this threat, we can clear the way for readily available climate solutions that we know will work.
Thank you for taking on this fight with me,
Lauren Guite,
Manager, Misinformation Brigade
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