Gone are the days when global warming is not real, the main claim of those who are most opposed to climate action. As more people experience the first-hand effects of climate change heat waves, hurricanes, wildfires and crop failures, a new type of climate denial has emerged. Today, the most popular online influencers do not deny the issue completely, but focus on other false or misleading information such as “climate solutions don’t work” but “climate change has some benefits” and pollution reduction policies are “a tool for government control.”
These new forms of rejection account for 70% of all such claims on YouTube, up from 35% in 2018, according to the Center for Counterattacks on Digital Hate.
Changing media diet
According to Pew, about one in five American adults and under the age of 30 say they often get news from social media influencers.
Of the 10 most popular online shows, eight spread false or misleading information about climate change, Yale’s climate connectivity analysis found. The analysis is based on the latest work on Media Affairs for the United States, a news regulation organization that found that right-leaning influencers now dominate digital media such as podcasts and streaming.
The spread of climate-related misinformation on these shows is mostly after an improved climate denial script that focuses on denial of the effectiveness of solutions and argues that climate change is beneficial. Influencers Jordan Peterson and Charlie Kirk also show people those who are worried about climate change, believers of “pseudo-religion.”
In terms of context, most people in the world, including the United States, care about climate change. Our partners in the Yale Climate Change Communication Program found that most Americans believe climate change is happening, which is bad and should be taken.
Still, many online figures, including Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro and Russell Brand, provide a platform for Danish political scientist, writer and climate Denier Bjørn Lomborg. Climate scientists have begged Lomberg to stop false statements and misunderstand science.
Several show hosts also claimed that climate change is a scam designed to control and oppress. “Climate change is the wrapping paper around Marxism. Your Marxist core is Marxism, external climate change. Climate change activism, environmentalism, pseudopaganiism – we call it the Trojan horse.”
“New denial” is gaining momentum
Like Kirk, some influential people tend to think that climate change is a conspiracy by governments to control their residents. This is similar to the conspiracy theory of the British news website Tortoise Media, the government's efforts to reduce Covid-19 to reduce diseases and deaths. “The narrative of climate sensation has been integrated with the narrative of shared sensibility, while some personalities are the same,” the website reported.
The analysis of the site, called “Hot Air,” is viewed on Twitter, Tiktok, YouTube, and news or blog sites that often spread climate misinformation. Analysis shows that cross-platform climate denials are increasing, and the “control” narrative is becoming increasingly steamy.
What “hot air” has been discovered
- The climate doubt phase on YouTube grew by 43% from 2021 to 2024.
- From 2021 to 2024, the climate-skeptical interface of X (Twitter) has increased by 82%.
- Claiming climate change is a control tool, now accounts for about 36% of climate Millennium content on YouTube and 40% of climate skeptic posts on X (Twitter).
New members of the Trump administration are also common. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox Business that “global warming has any advantages.” EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said: “We are bringing the dagger straight into the heart of climate change religion.”
Big budgets come into play
An analysis of media issues of the most popular online shows found that about 60% of them were ideologically correct. These shows have a great influence: they have five times the number of followers that are left-leaning shows. Large advertising budgets play a role in this popularity.
Major conservative players invest heavily in building and marketing their messages online. Prageru is a conservative media company focused on video content and embracing new climate denials, with its annual budget half of marketing.
Prageru is not alone. As independent journalist Parker Molloy wrote in her newsletter: “Koches, Mercks, Tilles, Murdoch, Uylins – these are not just wealthy families; they are king manufacturers who understand the media’s investment in political power.
According to media research, the Daily Wire co-founded by Ben Shapiro, whose online platform totals 25 million, was originally a modest conservative website that has expanded into a multimedia empire that produces movies, children’s content, children’s content and multiple best performing podcasts. Get the company off the ground. ”
These investments have not yet matched supporters of climate action and appear to be paying off now.
But it is important to remember that despite a lot of misinformation, most Americans understand the reality of climate change and they want to act. Imagine how powerful the truth would be if its messenger had received the same amount of financial support.
This story is part of 89% of the project, a global news collaboration program designed to cover climate.
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