Reasons to be Cheerful with Ed Miliband & Geoff Lloyd

Hello! This week we’re talking about climate misinformation and how we tackle it. Mis- and disinformation about the climate crisis is not new: since the 1970s industry players and fossil fuel giants have been denying the reality of climate change in order to sow confusion and polarise public support for taking action. Delay is the new denial, according to Jennie King, who talks to us about some of the arguments used to delay action on climate change. Professor Sander van der Linden tells us about the psychology of misinformation spread and why social media has only turbocharged it. Finally, Sean Buchan talks to us about the grassroots campaign Stop Funding Heat which aims to make climate misinformation unprofitable.

Plus: Geoff goes on a gastronomic journey with Ed's latest cooking attempt.

Guests

Jennie King, Head of Climate Research and Policy, Institute for Strategic Dialogue (@jkingy, @ISDglobal)

Professor Sander van der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology, University of Cambridge (@Sander_vdLinden)

Sean Buchan, Campaign Director, Stop Funding Heat (@seanforachange, @stopfundingheat)

More info

What is climate mis-/disinformation?

Deny, deceive, delay: documenting and responding to climate disinformation at COP26 and beyond Report from the ISD

Taxonomy of climate contrarian claims Academic paper: Coan, Boussalis, Cook, Nanko

Discourses of Climate Delay Comic by Céline Keller

Climate Action Against Disinformation 

Pre-order a copy of Sander's book Foolproof: Why we fall for misinformation and how to build immunity

Stop Funding Heat Campaign

Other resources

DeSmog Journalism to clear the 'PR Pollution' clouding the science and solutions to climate change

Skeptical science Website set up by academic Jon Cook to examine the science and arguments of climate scepticism

Ed and Geoff mentioned:

Three policies making life in Paris better for children