Talking about climate change #10

Giving misinformation the FLICC (4 minute read)

Elsewhere, a front of chronic misinformation

will sweep in from the east...

Brian Bilston

I recently did a course on climate change journalism, and as part of that course I was introduced to the work of John Cook and his colleagues. They have been working to understand, describe and counter arguments that people use to deny scientific evidence, especially the evidence for climate change. Cook and his colleagues have produced some amazing resources and I’ve learned a lot from them.

So, this month I’m sharing resources to help us recognise when we are being fed false information, spurious arguments and just plain lies about climate change.

The deceptively solid surface of a glacier, Ross Island, Antarctica (image credit: Melanie Newfield)

Misleading information – the basics

But first, some basics about misinformation and disinformation. These terms are defined differently depending on where you look.

Misinformation and disinformation are both terms which are used to describe information which is wrong. The difference has to do with the intent for which the information was created. In general, misinformation has no deliberate or malicious intent, it’s just wrong. Disinformation is different. Depending on the definition, it was created either with the intent to deceive, or with the intent to do harm.

The following article gives an overview of the scale of the problem. The research summarised in the article indicates that most of us are concerned about climate change and are willing to do something about it. But many of us are unsure of our facts and find it hard to spot misinformation (5 minute read).

Climate change misinformation fools too many people – but there are ways to combat it (theconversation.com)

How inoculation can help

Just as a vaccine protects our body from a virus by teaching it to recognise that virus, we can protect our minds from misleading information by teaching ourselves to recognise misinformation and disinformation. The following video explains how we can do this, and the evidence that it works (8 minute video)

The Science of Cranky Uncle Part 2: Inoculation Theory - Cranky Uncle

Three inoculation methods

I’ve got great news – inoculation against misleading information doesn’t require an injection. It’s a completely pain-free method, with no side effects apart from taking a few minutes of your time.

Better still, there isn’t just one method you can use – there are three. I tried all three, and the game is definitely the most fun, but they are all worth trying. Using the three different methods is probably like getting three shots of the COVID-19 vaccine, much more effective than a single dose.

Dose one – read the article (8 minute read)

The following article explains the acronym FLICC, which covers the five main techniques of science denial:

• Fake experts

• Logical fallacies

• Impossible expectations

• Cherry picking

• Conspiracy theories

Each of these techniques is further broken down to help explain them more clearly and to help you spot them when you encounter them. The techniques are illustrated with examples of arguments used against climate change.

A history of FLICC: the 5 techniques of science denial - Cranky Uncle

Dose two – watch the videos (three 8 minute videos)

The same page has a number of videos where John Cook explains the techniques of science denial and how to spot them. There is also a 40 minute video where Cook goes into more depth to explain the techniques and how to spot them.

Dose three – play the game (takes as much time as you’ve got)

The most fun, and addictive, way to learn about the techniques of science denial is to play the Cranky Uncle game. This game teaches you the techniques of science denial and reinforces them with a quiz. I think it took me about 45 minutes to play the game right through until I’d learned every technique, but as with any game it can suck you in to keep playing...

Play the Cranky Uncle game

Does this mean I can now win arguments with science deniers?

Sorry, but it’s not that simple. There’s a world of difference between understanding how to spot misleading information and convincing someone who is well and truly attached to a series of false beliefs. Unfortunately, vaccination isn’t usually effective once you’re already infected with a virus (although there are exceptions).

Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying. Ignoring misinformation and disinformation won’t make it go away. Your efforts to counter it really do make a difference, but just remember, it’s not just what you say, it’s also how you say it. People remember how you make them feel.

Here’s a little bit of motivation from John Cook again, on why countering misinformation is important (5 minute video).

The Science of Cranky Uncle Part 1: Why We Can't Ignore Misinformation - YouTube

And if you really want to go in-depth, John Cook created a whole website aimed at countering misinformation and disinformation about climate change. It covers all the information I’ve talked about here, examines common myths about climate change, shares useful articles and so much more.

Global Warming and Climate Change skepticism examined (skepticalscience.com)

This month’s climate poem

Since today’s Turnstone is focused on misinformation, I’ve chosen a different sort of poem this month. It’s a satirical poem about climate change inaction and denial, from Brian Bilston, a fictional English poet, the creation of Paul Millicheap.

Today’s Climate Forecast | Brian Bilston's Poetry

Thank you so much to everyone who commented last week to tell me about what they would like to see in The Turnstone in future. I really appreciate your responses. I apologise for being a little behind in replying to you, but I will get back to you soon.