Climate Action Against Disinformation

🚨 New from DeSmog "Trump and the Energy East Pipeline Revival: Why Canada Shouldn’t Waste Billions" Some previously shelved pipeline projects, like Energy East, are being rebranded as essential for Canada's national security in light of U.S. President Donald Trump’s provocative rhetoric about annexing Canada. However, such proposals risk prioritizing outdated infrastructure over forward-looking energy solutions. Mitch Anderson writes:"A wiser investment would be a massive build-out of our electrical grid across the country. To reach the projected energy demand by 2050, our country urgently needs up to 29 gigawatts of new high-voltage transmission capacity, including 6,000 km of new or upgraded power corridors. This would more than triple our current interprovincial capacity, which for too long has been hobbled by a lack of coordinated power trading." https://lnkd.in/eZQxGWf5

🌊 Join Water Hub on Wednesday, March 5th, for an insightful discussion on combating water and climate disinformation. The panel will feature Philip Newell from CAAD, Abbie Richards from Media Matters for America, and Nicole Lampe and Jessica Jewell from Water Hub.

InfluenceMap's new groundbreaking report "The Global Campaign Against Building Electrification", exposes how the oil and gas and utilities industries are employing a coordinated strategy to hinder the global transition to clean energy in buildings. The study reveals the extent of industry efforts to maintain fossil fuel dependence, potentially compromising both public health and climate objectives. "The undermining of electrification efforts by the fossil fuel industry is highly concerning from a health perspective. Wind and solar are cleaner and healthier, and choosing these to power our communities is the right ethical choice. The pattern recognized by InfluenceMap shows a disturbing global effort and a disregard for the weight of health literature on the health harms caused by coal, oil, and gas," commented Dr. Kate Wylie, Executive Director of Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) 🔗 Read the report: https://lnkd.in/e2JCTh8c

🇯🇵 Japan has ignored thousands of public comments calling to boost its climate ambition. 350 Japan's Masayoshi Iyoda says this shows how the government has ultimately bowed to fossil fuel interests. ☀️ The fight for Japan's renewable energy future continues! https://lnkd.in/gf7xNvCK

CAAD's recent webinar "Techno-Feudalism: Big Carbon and Big Tech's Big Disinfo" featured experts Jennifer Jacquet, Imran Ahmed, and Thais Lazzeri discussing the intersection of big oil, tech, and climate misinformation. A key takeaway from the discussion was the urgent need to address how platforms spread and monetise disinformation. "I think it is very important that as these platforms continue to create a system in which they can spread disinformation about climate and monetise it, that we use transparency as a tool to reimpose the social mores and the values that most of society hold, which is that we believe that the earth is a gift to us, and it's one that we should not squander, nor should we abuse because it has to be passed on to the next generation." Imran Ahmed, CEO Center for Countering Digital Hate 🔗 Read the full notes here: https://lnkd.in/dK7Air6Y If you're interested in accessing the recording, please email us at contact@caad.info

A new investigation by CORRECTIV reveals how Donald Trump's anti-climate agenda is influencing Germany. From U.S-backed think tanks to political alliances, a transatlantic network is pushing deregulation and fossil fuel expansion. 🔗 Read DeSmog's full article: https://lnkd.in/eHdXu7u9

Brazil is set to host #COP30 in the Amazon this November, a critical moment for global climate leadership. Yet, President Lula’s government is pushing for new oil drilling near the mouth of the Amazon River, one of the planet's most biodiverse ecosystems. This move raises serious concerns about environmental risks, threats to Indigenous communities, and Brazil's commitment to climate action. While Lula argues that oil revenues will fund the country’s energy transition, critics highlight the contradiction of expanding fossil fuel extraction while hosting a summit aimed at phasing it out. “It’s like recommending smoking twice as much to raise more money for lung cancer treatment,” said Caetano Scannavino, from the Amazonian NGO Saúde e Alegria. 🔗 Read Climate Home News' full article: https://lnkd.in/eA4-QtxM

A new report from Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and For Our Kids reveals fossil fuel companies are funding and supplying misleading climate education to Canadian schools, downplaying their role in the climate crisis. Key findings include: 🛢️ At least 39 oil and gas companies and 12 industry-tied organizations are involved in climate education across Canada. 🌳 Industry-supported materials downplay the fossil fuel sector's role in climate change and exaggerate companies' pro-environmental actions. ✍ Programs like Inside Education, funded by multiple oil and gas companies, reached nearly 25,000 students in 2023. 🤝 Government partnerships with fossil fuel companies have influenced curriculum development in provinces like Alberta. “In the face of the accelerating climate crisis, young people are understandably anxious about their futures. They need—and are calling for—climate change education that addresses the causes and impacts of climate change and equips them with the knowledge and skills to take collective action to advance the equitable transition off fossil fuels. This is a matter of urgency—but unfortunately, right at this critical moment, we are seeing that fossil fuel involvement in education is working to limit students’ understanding of causes and impacts and the solutions needed to secure a liveable future. We need to do better,” said Anne Keary, For Our Kids Toronto and report co-author. The report highlights a critical funding gap in climate education, forcing schools to rely on corporate-sponsored materials. All levels of government, school boards, and educators need to act swiftly in removing fossil fuel industry influence from Canadian schools and implement comprehensive, science-based climate education nationwide. 🔗 Read the full report here:https://lnkd.in/eeDbzYpF 🍎 Fossil-free resources for educators: https://lnkd.in/exZGqugQ

Spanish-language #ClimateDisinfo is spreading fast on social media—and it’s harming Latino communities the most. Nearly 90% of Hispanic adults get their news online, but it often fails to scrutinize Spanish content, including: ❌ Propaganda from state-affiliated channels denying climate change ❌ Misleading videos about climate science ❌ Conspiracy theories, like weather-controlling devices Latino communities are already on the frontlines of the climate crisis, facing extreme weather, heat, and pollution. Learn how you can protect your community and the planet at Hot & Toxic powered by the Gas Leaks Project.

Elon Musk’s recent embrace of far-right ideologies is having ripple effects far beyond social media. As DeSmog highlights in their latest investigative piece, this shift is energising climate denial movements on both sides of the Atlantic, emboldening extremist political parties like Germany’s AfD, and undermining critical efforts to combat the climate crisis. Another alarming development is how Musk’s rhetoric and actions have been embraced by organisations like the Heartland Institute. The Heartland Institute, a US-based think tank, has been at the forefront of climate denial, receiving significant funding from fossil fuel interests and promoting skepticism about climate science. Once critical of Musk as part of the “billionaire climate elite,” Heartland has now shifted its tone, even dedicating a podcast episode to speculate that Musk might be “abandoning the climate cult.” Musk’s alignment with these groups risks legitimising climate denial during a critical decade for action. 🔗 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g3eaDk2F 🔗 Learn more about The Heartland Institute here: https://lnkd.in/e6AwEgTm