Communicating Climate Science in an Era of Misinformation
Abstract
Whereas the scientific consensus for climate change was once the greatest barrier to climate action, 97 percent of climatologists agree climate change is happening and is human-caused. Now, climate misinformation is the modern barrier to climate action. Climate misinformation has adverse impacts on public perception of and support for climate science. Mastering climate communication is integral for counteracting climate misinformation and relaying modern climate science comprehensibly to the public and policymakers. This review synthesizes current research surrounding climate misinformation, discusses identified strategies to combat misinformation, and highlights methods for effective climate communication appropriately adapted for an era of climate misinformation. It concludes with a critical analysis of the methods used throughout the literature and provides suggestions to improve the credibility of future research. The review emphasizes that the future of climate communication must remain fluid to climate misinformation tactics because the increasing prevalence of climate change compels disseminators of climate misinformation to adapt their strategies to remain effective.
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