Databite No. 126: Joe Mulhall
Channel: Data & Society Research Institute
Date: 2019-12-04

Climate Change and Conspiracy: Networked Disinformation 

Data & Society welcomes Joe Mulhall, Senior Researcher at European anti-extremism NGO HOPE not hate, for a public talk to explore how the international far right is leveraging the current climate crisis, with a special focus on networked disinformation and exclusive new polling research across six countries around the world.  

Our planet is warming, our seas are rising, and while the human cost of this will be massive, the human cause of it is undeniable. Or at least, it should be. Rising sea levels and the desertification of already dry areas could see millions across our world being displaced. The climate crisis is a massive threat to quality of life, but for some people, it's also an opportunity. Across Europe, the 2015 migrant crisis destabilized civil society, leading to the rise of the AfD in Germany, the Lega party in Italy, and allowing Viktor Orban to whip up anti-migrant rhetoric in Hungary. These conditions are a petri dish for conspiracy theorists, politicians, corporate interests, and especially a boon for the rhetoric of extreme anti-migration factions pushing online disinformation.  

This event is moderated by Data & Society founder danah boyd.