Ipsos surveyed 1,000 Australian adults for their 2024 Climate Change Report and the results on misinformation believability are striking. Not because people believe nonsense, that’s a given, but because of where they’re encountering it.
Take the claim “there is no consensus among climate scientists about the effects of climate change.” 49% found this believable despite the actual consensus sitting above 97% for over a decade. Where did they encounter it? 30% through mainstream media, more than double the 14% from social media. Or consider “electric cars are as bad for the planet as petrol cars,” believed by 58%. The lifecycle analyses have been clear for years. Again, mainstream media (26%) outpaces social media (24%).
For six of the eight statements tested, mainstream media is the dominant source. This is not a story about dodgy memes and bot farms. It’s a story about editorial choices and a media ecosystem that treats climate policy as a culture war rather than an engineering problem.
Five more claims cluster around 50% believability: wind farms as energy-negative, renewables causing blackouts, offshore wind harming whales, solar displacing farmland. Half the population finds each plausible. These are not fringe positions. They are load-bearing walls in the case against climate action.
The only claim a clear majority rejects? “Rising sea levels will help coral reefs flourish.” Even then, one in three found it believable.
We’re at 50% renewables and climbing. The engineering works. The economics are increasingly favourable. But the information environment is actively hostile and mainstream media is the primary vector. Build all the wind farms you like. If half the population believes they cause more problems than they solve, the political foundations for the transition remain fragile.
The AI misinformation swarms are coming. But right now, the biggest problem isn’t the algorithm. It’s the evening news.
Sources:
- Ipsos Climate Change Report 2024 (ipsos.com)
- Australia’s energy transition is finally working (theguardian.com)