Climate Crisis: YouTube Criticised for Amplifying Climate Lies to Young People
A recent report has revealed that a significant number of UK teenagers hold the belief that climate change is being “exaggerated.” The report points to the proliferation of disinformation videos on YouTube, which promote a new form of climate denial specifically targeted at young people.
Traditionally, climate deniers focused on denying the existence of climate change or questioning its anthropogenic origins. However, research conducted by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) indicates that the majority of climate denial videos on YouTube now aim to discredit climate solutions, challenge the reliability of climate science and the climate movement, or present the effects of global heating as beneficial or harmless.
The CCDH gathered a dataset of text transcripts from over 12,000 climate-related YouTube videos posted by 96 channels over a period of almost six years. The results revealed that 31% of UK respondents aged 13 to 17 agreed with the statement that climate change and its effects are exaggerated. This percentage rose to 37% for teenagers classified as heavy users of social media.
The report highlights a shift from the “old denial” to the “new denial.” While the “old denial” rejected the existence of climate change or its human cause, the “new denial” focuses on discrediting climate solutions and those advocating for climate action.
Imran Ahmed, CEO of the CCDH, stated that as scientists have successfully informed the public about climate change and its causes, those opposing climate action have now redirected their efforts towards undermining confidence in solutions and scientific evidence.
This mentality has permeated UK politics, with right-wing politicians campaigning to convince the public that achieving net zero emissions is impractical and costly. The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has recently expressed concerns about the expense of climate solutions and has scaled back on net zero commitments.
The report highlights the alarming influence of YouTube on young people, as the platform is the most popular social media platform among 13 to 17-year-olds. Channels such as Jordan Peterson, BlazeTV, and PragerU were cited as examples of channels that propagate messages of new climate denial.
Ahmed emphasized the hypocrisy of social media companies claiming to be environmentally conscious while amplifying and monetizing climate disinformation. He called on digital platforms to refuse to promote or monetize climate denial content that undermines trust in collective efforts to address the climate crisis.
YouTube and its parent company, Google, have been urged to stop promoting climate disinformation. The report revealed that widely viewed videos containing climate denial messages were accompanied by paid-for advertisements from major brands and non-profit organizations.
Michael Khoo, a climate disinformation expert at Friends of the Earth, stated that big tech companies are facilitating the spread of climate denial, which hampers effective climate action. Khoo called on all social media platforms to cease amplifying and profiting from climate denial, which poses a grave threat to humanity.
Responding to the report, a spokesperson for YouTube stated that their climate change policy prohibits ads from appearing on content that contradicts well-established scientific consensus. They also mentioned displaying information panels alongside relevant videos to provide accurate context and information on climate change.