'Liar, liar, pants on fire, Global temp gets higher, higher.'
(Saying, updated)
The problem with the viral propagation of lies - especially from what used to be our most trusted sources - is that they can do enormous damage. Truth matters. Facts matter. Verified science matters. But we deal daily with a dangerous spread of fake news viruses, generated by troll farms paid by individuals, organizations and governments trying to sell ideas from which they will benefit. As my all time favorite author Terry Pratchett said in his hilariously funny, feminist, fantasy satire Monstrous Regiment: 'You can't just read anything you see ... You don't know who wrote it!'
Late last year, the BBC quoted UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in Climate change: 'It is a global issue we are all failing'. He warned that the rise of nationalism around the world has reduced countries' political will to work collectively to tackle global warming. We are already behind in the urgent actions that need to be taken to get the escalation under control, resulting in a steady rise in calamitous climate disasters around the world - tornadoes, floods, fires ... perhaps 'Liar, liar, world on fire!' would be more apt for our situation.
What can ordinary folk do? Of course, we should work on our own environmental footprints, but we also need to influence the decisions world leaders are taking. Their impacts are deciding our children's, grandchildren's and great-grandchildren's futures, possibly humanity's as well. Truth matters. Facts matter. Science matters. Voting for all levels of government matters a lot too - and when you're deciding where to place your vote, please, please don't trust anyone selling fear, and never trust a tweet!
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