Narratives
Private, political, and media narratives about climate change can influence how the public perceives and interprets climate information, which can consequently impact decision-making processes. This section helps you recognize these narratives when you encounter them, whether on social media, in news stories, reports, or other relevant media.
01. Climate Change Denialism
Senate hearing reports reveal that major oil companies spent decades deliberately sowing doubt and confusion regarding the dangers of fossil fuels, despite possessing clear knowledge of their harmful impacts on the planet.
While the world faces the growing impacts of the climate change crisis, one question remains: why do some still deny its reality? The answer may lie in the powerful network of fossil fuel companies, conservative denial groups, right-wing politicians, and skeptics. As the consequences of global climate warming have become increasingly evident and undeniable, Big Oil has transitioned from explicit climate denialist narratives designed to foster distrust and uncertainty to more sophisticated strategies involving deception, disinformation, and doublespeak. Uncover how the climate change denial machine operates.
While the world faces the growing impacts of the climate change crisis, one question remains: why do some still deny its reality? The answer may lie in the powerful network of fossil fuel companies, conservative denial groups, right-wing politicians, and skeptics. As the consequences of global climate warming have become increasingly evident and undeniable, Big Oil has transitioned from explicit climate denialist narratives designed to foster distrust and uncertainty to more sophisticated strategies involving deception, disinformation, and doublespeak. Uncover how the climate change denial machine operates.
02. Ecofascism
Ecofascism emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, combining environmental concerns with fascist ideologies, exploiting public anxieties about climate change to promote and impose their own agendas.
The central narrative propagated by ecofascists claims that humanity, particularly immigrants and poor, are the ones to blame for climate change, often promoting the idea that the planet would thrive better in the absence of human existence, while placing the blame on the most vulnerable. This framing shifts the focus away from the disproportionate contributions of the wealthiest individuals to carbon emissions compared to the poorest. In fact, Oxfam (2023) reveals that the richest 1% emit as much carbon as the poorest 66%. Discover how ecofascist narratives further obscure the structural inequalities underlying the climate crisis.
The central narrative propagated by ecofascists claims that humanity, particularly immigrants and poor, are the ones to blame for climate change, often promoting the idea that the planet would thrive better in the absence of human existence, while placing the blame on the most vulnerable. This framing shifts the focus away from the disproportionate contributions of the wealthiest individuals to carbon emissions compared to the poorest. In fact, Oxfam (2023) reveals that the richest 1% emit as much carbon as the poorest 66%. Discover how ecofascist narratives further obscure the structural inequalities underlying the climate crisis.
03. De-legitimating climate activists
Climate activists have been a target of media and political scrutiny, framed as if they are part of a ‘doomsday cult’.
As climate politics are becoming more polarized and less believing in science, activists have been demonized by media outlets and politicians therefore affecting the validity of their messages and concerns and pushing away potential allies. Media and political narratives often portray activists as “fanatics” which can create an “us vs. them” mentality with the public. These negative portrayals of activists and climate activism can hinder climate action despite the fact that the scientific consensus believes climate change is real and impacting our world right now.
As climate politics are becoming more polarized and less believing in science, activists have been demonized by media outlets and politicians therefore affecting the validity of their messages and concerns and pushing away potential allies. Media and political narratives often portray activists as “fanatics” which can create an “us vs. them” mentality with the public. These negative portrayals of activists and climate activism can hinder climate action despite the fact that the scientific consensus believes climate change is real and impacting our world right now.
04. The Big Myth: How deregulation was sold as an economic freedom, while benefiting only few?
What does deregulation have to do with climate change deniers? The answer lies in the book Merchants of Doubt.
After writing Merchants of Doubt in 2010, Naomi Oreskes reasoned that climate change deniers were not motivated by questions about science. Instead, their denial stemmed from political concerns—questions about the appropriate role of government, often fueled by anxieties that regulation was a backdoor to communism. This left the authors, Oreskes and Conway, to question: Why would intelligent people accept what we call market fundamentalism? As an answer to this, The Big Myth book emerges.
What does deregulation have to do with climate change deniers? The answer lies in the book Merchants of Doubt.After writing Merchants of Doubt in 2010, Naomi Oreskes reasoned that climate change deniers were not motivated by questions about science. Instead, their denial stemmed from political concerns—questions about the appropriate role of government, often fueled by anxieties that regulation was a backdoor to communism. This left the authors, Oreskes and Conway, to question: Why would intelligent people accept what we call market fundamentalism? As an answer to this, The Big Myth emerges.