This issue has been occurring for years, but it has kicked into sixth gear in 2017.
There’s a continuing manipulation of facts and falsehoods being presented to the public and it affects people in several different aspects of their lives. The first being politically, however we are starting to see a significant impact on the environment.
The ‘fake news’ issue is being spread from the elite in the US administration, as well as through people’s manipulation of social media. As people bid for more exposure, money and influence, they will present falsehoods as facts without any consideration for the consequence.
Things have flared up to the point where there is a war waged against the media, journalists and on scientists.
In the past, it was almost impossible to argue with the facts.
However, we now live in an era where the facts don’t even matter anymore, and it’s starting to chip away the credibility of scientific sources.
One altercation that was caught on Australian television was between British physicist Brian Cox and Australian politician Malcolm Roberts. When met with facts, the politician was quick to dismiss the facts due to corruption or inaccuracies. It’s a common tactic that is used by people when presented with facts. They will either deflect, dismiss or ignore the facts in order to preserve their agenda.
There’s a need to take action against carbon emissions.
The commercial LED lighting industry has helped reduce carbon emissions through their more eco-friendly approach to lighting technology. However, more than technology is needed to address the issue. People need to recognise that this is a real issue. But when people with influence dismiss or deflect the issue, it is a concern.
The truth used to be recognised.
Fact checking isn’t enough.
It is about giving people what they want and playing to their desires.
Marketers have understood this for a long time. People can be fooled into believing something that isn’t true. This has been the case with Debeers Diamonds pulling off one of the most compelling marketing campaigns where they artificially created demand and convinced the world (even until this day) that diamonds are a symbolism of love, engagement, rarity and that it should be a significant financial investment.
The manipulation that occurred in the diamond industry has crossed over into the sustainability industry. And the consequences of adhering to non-factual rhetoric is predicted to be more catastrophic than the benefits that are emphasized.
There are influencers that are standing up for the recognition of climate change.
There are many people that are using their public platform to bring the right factual news to the forefront. Arnold Schwarzenegger used his Facebook platform to urge people to take positive action, rather than argue and debate over whether or not climate change facts are real or not.
Additionally, politicians that recognize the need to take action aren’t staying silent.
This was made very clear by during the administration nominations after the Trump administration took office.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nominee Scott Pruitt was grilled by US Senator Bernie Sanders for his contradictory view on climate change. As the head of the EPA, Pruitt would be responsible for managing environmental regulations that would enhance sustainability efforts across the country. However, the nominee had been known to refer to climate change as a ‘hoax’, which raised eyebrows in Washington.
The exchange between Senator Bernie Sanders and Scott Pruitt can be seen in the video below.
The elephant that is in the room is Scott Pruitt’s interests in preserving the fossil-fuel economy, along with the national and even global elite that have a significant financial interest.
Additionally, it is an avenue for the current administration to fulfil its campaign promise to create more American jobs by preserving the fossil fuel industry. The Washington Post released an article stating how the President and his administration claimed to save 70,000 jobs by overturning an environmental regulation that would have prevented the contamination of water sources.
The sense of concern is in the air, however, people and influencers need to make their voice heard. Ignorance is difficult to overcome. Education is part of the answer, however to get people to buy into the bigger picture will be a challenge. Especially since facts aren’t as persuasive as they used to be.
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