PhD student debunks disturbing academic claim spreading through research databases: 'It's perfect as misinformation'

With so many different stances on climate change circulating, it can prove difficult to pick out accurate environmental truths from misinformation.

Doctoral candidate Sara (@francelot_) shared her experience with the pervasiveness of climate misinformation, even in her academic circles.

@francelot_ ✨always✨ check the references! #climatechange #climateliteracy #misinformation #debunking #climatescience #globalwarming ♬ original sound - Sara | PhD Student

Studying science communication, Sara noted that even her college-level students found it difficult to identify misinformation in their readings, thrown off by scientific jargon and heavy citations.

"It's perfect as misinformation, because it looks legit," she explained in her voiceover, referring to an article by Fred Singer, a notorious climate change skeptic.

Funnily enough, she continued, despite the article's seeming legitimacy, the author cited his own opinion pieces as factual references four different times.

Carbon pollution has been conclusively linked to rising planetary temperatures, but from his 1999 perspective, Singer claimed there was insufficient data to indicate that the climate was actually changing as a result of human contributions.

The factors he expected from human-induced climate change, such as rising sea levels and intensified weather events, weren't as visible 25 years ago as they are now.

When misinformation is packaged so convincingly as scientific truth, both in the media and in the academic world, readers can rely on it to inform their beliefs.

In the context of climate misinformation, inaccurate or manipulated claims can push the myth that things aren't as bad as they seem, or that there's nothing we can do about rising global temperatures — effectively inhibiting individuals from taking eco-conscious actions.

The conflicting pieces and sources of "information" out there can even confuse and overburden individuals who might otherwise be inclined to make more sustainable choices. To keep yourself informed about the state of the environment, make sure you always check your sources before accepting them as fact.

Do you think misinformation is a major problem in America today? Definitely 💯 Only for some people 😒 Only with certain issues 🤔 Not really 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Yes! Check the references!" one commenter wrote. "Find those footnotes or endnotes. For legit works, it leads to more great insight."

"Keep fighting the good fight!!" another added.

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