Climate Science in a Disinformation Era

Disinformation has increased over the past decades, particularly when addressing climate change. If you have never come across the FLICC acronym, it refers to a framework used to identify and categorise common tactics employed by individuals or groups to promote disinformation or denialism. Climate disinformation is mainly focused on areas such as undermining trust in science, weakening public support for climate action, hindering policy implementation and international cooperation on climate change, and undermining democracies.

The term FLICC was popularised by climate communication experts and stands for:

• Fake Experts: Present individuals as experts who have little to no relevant expertise in the subject at hand. For example, using a non-climate scientist to speak authoritatively about climate science.
• Logical Fallacies: Using flawed reasoning to mislead or confuse. This includes common fallacies like strawman arguments, false dichotomies, or ad hominem attacks.
• Impossible Expectations: Demanding unrealistic standards of proof or certainty in science, such as asking for absolute certainty in climate predictions or the effects of specific policies.
• Cherry Picking: Selectively presenting data or information that supports a particular viewpoint while ignoring the larger body of evidence. This is often seen when presenting short-term trends or outliers as if they reflect the overall situation.
• Conspiracy Theories: Suggesting that a small group of people is manipulating or hiding the truth to deceive the public, often with nefarious intent. This can be used to dismiss overwhelming evidence by claiming it’s part of a larger conspiracy.

How do we recognise climate disinformation?

• Check sources: confirm the source’s credibility by verifying whether it references scientific institutions, peer-reviewed journals, and reputable news outlets.
• Pay attention to language and tone: Sensationalist language, exaggerations, and appeals to strong emotions are all red flags when looking for disinformation.
• Fast-check: use independent fact-checking websites or information sources available to help you verify claims.

What kind of resources are out there to help me with this task?

• The climate pack toolkit, set up by the European Union (EU), is a good resource for learning how to talk to people about climate action.
• Additional EU climate pack resources can be explored to help you in your professional roles.
• Myth Busters — The Facts on Climate and Energy is a webpage supported by the United Nations (UN) that analyses and does quick facts checks about generic topics on climate.
• Books that you can read to help you identify conspiracies and how to talk with people who believe in them, debunk misinformation effectively, and talk about the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change: a) The consensus handbook; b) The debunking handbook; c) The conspiracy theory handbook

What is our role when facing climate disinformation, and how can simple gestures effectively reduce this phenomenon?

• Report disinformation when you see it — many social media platforms have a function to report posts
• Don’t engage with disinformation posts on social media, as this will only amplify the message and give it more attention
• Help to spread correct information through your channels and networks, online and offline
• Be aware of your own biases and get your information from diverse sources for a balanced perspective

Climate disinformation undermines trust in science and slows the pace of international cooperation to accelerate solutions that can tackle climate change. We can all be active intervenient and play a role by addressing it, even if it just starts by making simple fact-check gestures or playing an active and informed discourse when FLICC conversations occur.

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