Nearly 15% of Americans don’t believe climate change is real, study finds

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Guardian or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: A University of Michigan study, analyzing over 7.4 million tweets, reveals nearly 15% of Americans deny the reality of climate change, highlighting a deep polarization
• The study found denialism prevalent in the central and southern US, particularly among Republican voters, with social media playing a significant role in spreading disbelief

🔭 The context: The research utilized artificial intelligence to sift through millions of tweets, categorizing them as either supporting or denying climate change
• High-profile public figures, notably Donald Trump, significantly influence climate change denialism on social media platforms

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The persistence of climate change denial, especially in influential online spaces, hampers efforts to address global warming
• It reflects the challenge of combating misinformation and underscores the importance of broadening public acceptance of climate science to implement effective environmental policies

⏭️ What's next: The study underscores the need for more proactive measures by social media companies to combat climate misinformation
• As AI technologies evolve, their application in research and public discourse requires careful consideration of ethical implications and potential biases

💬 One quote: "It wasn’t surprising but it was disappointing, I would hope that more and more Americans would believe in climate change and the importance of addressing it," (Joshua Newell, co-author of the study)

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