Conspiracy theories swirl after some blame bizarre cause for recent natural disaster: 'Trust in authorities declines'

Despite scientific proof that decades of human error have caused rising environmental heat and the resulting harsh weather events like larger and unusual storms, conspiracies still linger. A recent example of a decidedly debunked theory is that Cyclone Alfred, which recently hit the Eastern shore of Australia, was geoengineered, as one Reddit post discussed.

That location hasn't seen a cyclone in decades; the BBC reported Cyclone Zoe was the last to take such a route in 1974. As those in the area awaited the storm that eventually weakened, the OP said, "Another kind of damage spread during the long wait: conspiracy theories and misinformation were rife on social media."

What were some of those theories? As the Conversation reported, one was that High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) transmits radio waves into the ionosphere, causing a storm. However, there is no evidence these waves can create weather at all, let alone cyclones, and no country or individual has ever raised documented evidence that HAARP has beamed anything to an area ahead of a storm. Further, no current or former HAARP staffer has ever accused the facility of doing this.

Another misinformed conspiracy theory on this storm's formation includes cloud seeding as a way to trigger the formation of rain clouds. While cloud seeding can help enhance rain in arid areas that need it, there is no direct correlation with hurricanes and cyclones or flooding.

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration has fact-checked several theories about such storms. "The Earth's warming atmosphere can cause hurricanes to intensify rapidly. … Record to near-record warm ocean temperatures across the Gulf of Mexico allowed hurricanes Helene and Milton to rapidly intensify. Natural steering currents in the upper atmosphere determine a storm's path," the NOAA stated.

NASA has helped get to the source of these frequent and increasingly catastrophic events. A 2023 study from two NASA scientists, published in the journal Nature Water, stated that these extreme wet and dry weather events are closely linked to rising planetary heat — not geoengineering.

Watch now: Survivors of extreme weather events discuss their fears for their children

The excessive use of dirty fuels like coal, oil, and gas creates carbon and methane pollution that traps heat. However, individuals and companies that understand the human part in this are taking charge with more clean energy initiatives like solar installation, windmills, and electric vehicles that can reduce pollution and help cool and heal the planet over time.

"As climate change ramps up, extreme weather proliferates and trust in authorities declines. Every large natural disaster triggers a wave of conspiracy [theorizing]," noted the OP in the comments.

Someone humorously replied, "We used to grow crops all year round, until [someone] invented winter."

Do you think misinformation is a major problem in America today?

Definitely 💯