Reject Climate Misinformation
Reject Climate Misinformation
By D. S. Mitchell
Ants at a Picnic
Misinformation proliferates like ants at a picnic, while truth seems to lumber along aimlessly. Such distortion is often hard to fight on major issues such as climate change. The hazards of ignoring or misunderstanding climate change are too dangerous to let this continue. Sadly, two thirds of the American public admits they rarely discuss global warming. It is more important than ever to help people understand how dangerous the phenomenon is to the planet and us; her population. We must start talking about it, and keep talking about it.
Comfort Zone
Changing minds is not an easy task. Each of us tend to hide out in our own information bubble, fending off ideas that threaten our beliefs. The Environmental Defense Fund in a recent article in their Solutions’ magazine offered six ways to fight climate misinformation. Frequently we will hear a friend or loved one spread fake news and want to speak up, but are uncomfortable in confronting the lies and misinformation. EDF’s Misinformation Brigade has some suggestions to help navigate the touchy subject of climate change and other hard issues confronting our world. Creating tactful and inclusive engagement is essential. Here are EDF’s tips on how to help correct climate change misinformation.
Friendly Ground
It is a proven fact that people are more likely to take in information from someone they know and trust than a stranger. So, shut down the PC. The internet is not where you will sway hearts and minds. To have the most impact, stick with your inner circle. Furthermore, no one likes to be publicly pressured, so if you want to make the biggest impact, do it in private.
Confirmation Bias
‘Confirmation Bias’ is the psychological mechanism that confirms the content of information we as individuals take in from the world around us that supports our already formed worldview. All that means is that we look for information to support our already formed opinions. Knowing that can help us change thinking. So, remember, before you make any statement, pro or con, ask questions of your friend or family member. Find out how they feel about the “news” they are sharing. It is important that you as a maker of change start by acknowledging their feelings. Listen to what they say, it will make them more wiling to listen to your point of view.
Appeal to Fear
Definitions are important. “Misinformation” is defined as ‘inaccurate or misleading’ information. On the other hand, “disinformation” is characterized as ‘deliberately deceptive.” The purveyors of disinformation use emotion-usually anger-to appeal to people who may already be feeling afraid or powerless. That sense of powerlessness thrives during periods of social unrest, war, and pandemics. It is important that you recognize that dynamic when engaging in conversations. Engage your kindness gene and use kindness and tolerance not irritation and anger.
Shared Values
Start with shared values. Avoid condemnation. Encourage the conversation with an imagined future world where kids have clean water and air, where we are energy independent, where there are still wilderness areas. Devise a plan to work together to make that wished for world a reality.
Getting it Straight
It is important to understand that we are all being bombarded by fake news and disinformation. All you have to do is open Facebook. Admit it up front, that you might have some things wrong; it may help get a conversation started. Maybe you and your family member, or friend, could make it your business to research “news sources” and “facts”. EDF Action’s website can be helpful in finding links and tools to verify content. Lead Stories might be a more comfortable site for conservatives to use when verifying information. Just commit to verify all content before you post the “news”; or spread the information.
Conclusion
Have respect for the topic, and make sure that you are only sharing true, correct and verifiable information. Let’s make sure we are part of the solution, not part of the problem. If you spot something particularly harmful on social media, report it to lguite@edfaction.org and they will contact social media companies and address the disinformation and lobby for its removal as inaccurate, or in the least tag it as inaccurate.
Resources:
edf.org/how-we-can-fight-climate-misinformation: (Check out the EDF guide to identify and combat disinformation).
edf.org/brigade: (Join the Misinformation Brigade and you will receive texts on dangerous misinformation and what you can do to help stop its spread).
leadstories.com (Check out this conservative fact checking site).
Established on Jan. 29th, 1939 the Badlands National Park protects 242, 796 acres of southwestern South Dakota. The park terrain is dramatic with sprawling grasslands, deep canyons and towering rock spires.. The park is habitat for Bighorn Sheep, American Bison and small rodents such as the prairie dog. Inside the park at Fossil Exhibit Trail fossils recovered within the park are on display for visitors.
Yosemite was first protected in 1864. Yosemite is famous for its waterfalls and steep peaks. Within 1,200 square miles there are deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoia, and a vast wilderness area. Yosemite is a World Heritage Site and entertains 5 million tourists annually.
A centerpiece of the Mall is the Lincoln Memorial, an enduring symbol of freedom. The memorial was designed after an ancient Greek temple. The 36 outer fluted columns represent the number of states in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death. The “park/mall” is in downtown Washington, D.C. Unofficially it is the area between the Lincoln Memorial on the West and East to the U.S. Capitol grounds. The mall contains the Smithsonian, art galleries, cultural institutions and many memorials, sculptures and statues. Some of the greatest assemblage of humanity in giant protests have occurred on the National Mall.
Glacier National Park was established May 11, 1910. The park covers 1,583 square miles of wilderness in Montana’s Rocky Mountains. Glacier carved peaks and valleys run all the way to the Canadian border. There are more than 700 miles of hiking trails. Diverse wildlife include Grizzly bears and Mountain goats. The park is known as the “Crown of the Continent.” Glacier is the headwaters for streams that flow to the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and to Hudson Bay. What happens at Glacier affects waters in a huge section of North America.
g the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. Lush forests where wildflowers bloom year round is a delightful park that offers camping and hiking among rivers, creeks and waterfalls. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park entertains more than 11 million visitors annually. Rainfall rushes down the mountainsides of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, creating an abundance of waterfalls . Visitors will find cascades and waterfalls on nearly every stream or river in the park.
of Gettysburg. The park commemorates the largest battle fought during the American Civil War. It was after the tragedy at Gettysburg where so many died on both sides that Abraham Lincoln came to give one of the most famous and memorable speeches of all time, forever known as the “Gettysburg Address.” The park is about 9.5 square acres. The park welcomes over a million visitors annually.
Crater Lake is 1950 ft deep. The lake was formed when Mount Mazama erupted nearly 8,000 years ago and then collapsed, forming the lake. The park is the only National Park in the state of Oregon and entertains over 800,000 visitors each year. The lake is fed only by rain and snowfall and is a photographer’s dream blue. The park was established by Teddy Roosevelt in May 1902 and encompasses over 183,000 sq acres.
The Dry Tortugas is a small archipelago of coral islands which are the most western and most isolated of the Florida Keys. The park is 99% water and is located 68 miles west of Key West, Florida. The area is home to sea turtles, and multiple sea birds. The seven small islands in the Gulf of Mexico offers picturesque blue waters, superlative coral reefs and marine life, and the historic Fort Jefferson and is skin divers paradise.
Described as a “red rock wonderland,” Arches National Park is a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures. The park has more than 2,000 natural stone arches, as well as hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins, and giant balanced rocks.” The Arches National Park is north of Moab, Utah. The 119.8 square miles park is bordered by the Colorado river in the southeast. The park entertains over 1.5 million visitors annually. Park was established in 1929.
