You may have found out about those metered strikes that never happen. Or the fact that some islands on earth can just only exist for a decade roughly before being submerged by global warming, nevertheless they still exist half of a century later. While global warming can be a threat, are we getting fake survival warnings to get ready ourselves if you find still time?
All major issues concerning individual nations just like the 2016 Presidential election in US and the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom or those problems that are of concern to depends upon like the problem of global warming and climate change are threatened by fake news that may lead to catastrophic results. While the subject of fake news has gained a greater audience after the 2016 US election, fake news has still had a worrisome affect us.
Fake news is not just a recent phenomenon and has existed for quite a while but its impact has be much more widespread with the spread of the web and social media. The fake news phenomenon has been aided by the rapid expansion of the digital medium and its capacity to provide any message across the globe at lightening fast speed. It leads to a scenario where such fake news can’t be checked, verified or challenged before it is made available worldwide.
Scientists grapple with fake news. Scientists studying climate change are grappling with this particular phenomenon of fake news which is able to sow the seeds of confusion in the minds of both the general public whose support is required to implement changes to save the environment along with your decision makers who’ve the responsibility of earning decisions which even though painful are necessary to stop further environmental damage.
In this scenario it is necessary that scientists step-up their efforts for wider dissemination of correct and factual data so that individuals be much more science literate and can appreciate facts as they are and aren’t swayed by misinformation campaigns and deliberately leaked fake news. World bodies just like the United Nations believes that the 2030 sustainable development goals could be met only if scientific literature and discoveries get a wider audience.
The misinformation campaigns and deliberately leaked fake news and controversies have generated a scenario where polls both in the US and UK show that although a large most scientists consent to the fact that climate change phenomenon of the modern era is largely fueled by human activities, Naijanews the typical populace is not conscious of such unanimity on the problem while many believe that it is still an unsettled issue. This type of large scale denial of climate change and its causes is due to of the failure of the scientific community to effectively challenge fake news about the issue.
An alteration of habits is needed. In their quest of wider dissemination of correct and factual data, scientists must change their long ingrained habit of sharing information among the scientific community as their prime objective and instead must develop the habit of sharing their information not just with the scientific community but with the general public also.
In their quest for disseminating scientific information scientists must use the aid of latest technological tools so they have the ability to develop effective way of two-way communication with the typical public. The new interdisciplinary field of translational ecology can help scientists work towards changing environmental research into public policy.
Turning the existing scenario into one where society understands and appreciates their viewpoint and is able to ascertain and understand the facts about climate change is vital if environmental issues are to get widespread support across the world. One of many ways through which we could support the growth of scientific temper is to know what fake news is and trying to stop it from spreading.
What is fake news? Since ancient times, rulers have indulged in slanting and planting news to serve their interests. But giving a slant to a news to accommodate one’s beliefs or ideology cannot be called fake news. Fake news could be called an entirely fabricated story without any basis that’s been floated by vested interests to serve their very own purpose.
We’re also at fault! Today with the advent of the web everyone from an individual to media to government have a share in the spread of fake news although their motives to do this can vary greatly from increasing political clout, to achieving financial goals or any personal agenda. But how to know whether the news is genuine or fake?
In sifting for fake news, look at the origins of the news. When it is carried by a legitimate source of news odds are that it won’t be fake but when it’s comes from sources you’ve not heard of or are considered to be of dubious nature you then must take such news with a touch of salt and verify it from a known authentic source before you begin believing it. The most obvious solution for checking the spread of fake news is human intervention. Technology on it’s own cannot sift and segregate fake news. Realizing this dimension Facebook has begun such a practice and has enlisted International Fact Checking Network to appear into that news that users have flagged as deliberate fakes.
Stopping the spread of fake news, you yourself must begin to take responsibility of everything you share. Don’t share anything on the social media marketing without entering the detail of the story or the photograph. Check the foundation of the story or the photo you wish to circulate and only if they come from some reputable sources in case you share them.
