"Research shows that social media influencers can shape climate denialism around the world."

"A few weeks ago, delegates from nearly 200 nations met for the 29th United Nations climate summit (COP29) in Azerbaijan, where they discussed how best to reduce emissions to slow dangerous global warming. Meanwhile, a separate global forum was playing out online, dedicated to undermining the conference, promoting oil and gas and denying humans’ role in climate change.

A new report, published on Friday by international nonprofit Global Witness, found that climate misinformation and disinformation spread unchecked on TikTok during COP29, mostly in user comments on videos. The users they identified denied man-made global warming and rebuked efforts to combat it, claiming that climate change is a “lie” or “hoax.”

In recent years, social media platforms like X, Facebook and even LinkedIn have emerged as efficient vehicles to spread this type of inaccurate rhetoric as quickly as climate-fueled wildfires. Online influencers and prominent political figures, particularly President-elect Donald Trump, have fanned these flames on social media, a worrisome trend as trust in science and journalists continues in some communities to plummet, experts say."

Kiley Price reports for Inside Climate News December 10, 2024. [2]