A UK newspaper was rebuked for its recent coverage of the country's governing party and its handling of environmental issues.
Since the Labour Party's sweeping victory in the July general election, the Telegraph has discredited its climate policies, DeSmog reported. The paper reaches 18.3 million people.
The Labour Party and its energy security and net zero secretary Ed Miliband were attacked by writers of over 1,600 opinion pieces and editorials on the Telegraph website. The "anti-green" agenda showed up in 94% of those pieces, which undermined climate science, policy, and technological solutions or environmental activists, according to DeSmog.
"These attacks are consistent with 'discourses of delay' — arguments that don't explicitly deny climate science but instead seek to stall climate action by calling into question the cost and implications of green policies," DeSmog stated.
The United Kingdom plans to reduce its heat-trapping pollution to net zero by 2050, which is in line with recommendations by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The UN body has warned that if the average global temperature surpasses 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming from preindustrial levels, there will be catastrophic consequences for humanity.
People are already experiencing devastating sea level rise, more frequent and intense droughts and floods, and increasing wildfire risks. The IPCC and other experts say that further temperature rise would be even worse. The more governments and corporations can do to ward this off, the better.
Hundreds of millions of people have been displaced by natural disasters made worse by warming temperatures in the last decade, per the United Nations, and other effects include health problems and financial ruin.
DeSmog added that there were "anti-climate claims" in 16% of the Telegraph's opinions and editorials as well as in 20% of the paper's articles about the Labour Party over the first 100 days after the election. And 1% of opinions and editorials "adopted a pro-green stance — framing climate policy, technological solutions, campaigners, or champions in a positive light."
The strategy is not new, and it is ramping up. A similar sixth-month analysis last year showed 85% of the Telegraph's opinions and editorials about environmental issues were anti-green.
🗣️ Do you think misinformation is a major problem in America today?
🔘 Definitely 💯
🔘 Only for some people 😒
🔘 Only with certain issues 🤔
🔘 Not really 🙅
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Renewable energy, such as solar, has become cheaper in the last 10-plus years, and making other clean energy adjustments can pad your wallet, too.
"The British public knows that urgent climate action is needed to protect our future — but parts of our media continue to sow confusion, downplaying the threats and undermining the solutions with dangerous misinformation," Richard Wilson, director of campaign group Stop Funding Hate, told DeSmog.
He noted the approach threatens the public interest and props up oil and gas companies.
The Telegraph is for sale, and conservatives with strong ties to the dirty fuel industry are eyeing a bid, DeSmog reported.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
