Climate change has come to this, has it - a demand for censorship?
This does not bode well:
False claims obstructing climate action, say researchers, amid calls for climate lies to be criminalised
Oh well, we can always find some nutters to demand people shouldn’t be allowed to say that. For any that we care to mention.
Rampant climate misinformation is turning the crisis into a catastrophe, according to the authors of a new report.
It found climate action was being obstructed and delayed by false and misleading information stemming from fossil fuel companies, rightwing politicians and some nation states. The report, from the International Panel on the Information Environment (Ipie), systematically reviewed 300 studies.
The researchers found climate denialism has evolved into campaigns focused on discrediting solutions, such as the false claims that renewable energy caused the recent massive blackout in Spain.
Online bots and trolls hugely amplify false narratives, the researchers say, playing a key role in promoting climate lies.
We can even imagine a certain sympathy. Why not outlaw the use of RCP 8.5 in any discussions? That would gut 90% of the lies being told about climate change right there.
But attractive as the idea is, no. Free speech, scientific inquiry, the right of us all to shout whatever comes into our pretty little heads is far too great and grand a cornerstone of civilisation for us to sign up to even that.
But this does get worse:
In London and Paris, we’ve experienced vicious backlash to climate action. But we’re not backing down
Sadiq Khan and Anne Hidalgo
Around the world, well-funded, organised climate deniers are spreading lies about the crisis. We call on governments and tech companies to step up
Really, elected politicians insisting that no one be allowed to say that?
We are calling on national governments, journalists, educators and tech companies to step up.
We welcome efforts such as the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires online platforms to counter the spread of illegal content, including disinformation, and lays the groundwork for holding platforms accountable. But much more is needed. For example, the UK’s Online Safety Act could be strengthened by explicitly recognising climate disinformation as a form of harmful content.
Yes, really.
Disinformation flourishes when trust breaks down. Ultimately, fighting disinformation is not only a matter of public relations, it is about public leadership. We must rebuild the foundations of trust.
We’re going to rebuild trust by abolishing free speech?
In other news Radio London is to start covering the tractor production statistics. Fie on such vileness.
Tim Worstall