Conspiracy theories can be dangerous, with the proliferation of misinformation impacting our ability to make beneficial changes that could make our planet a much better place to live.
On a Reddit thread dedicated to conspiracy theories, someone added a collection of screenshots from a post by Kashif Khan that attributed flooding in North Carolina during Hurricane Helene to potential lithium mining in the state.
Khan's post claimed that Piedmont Lithium has been eyeing up Gaston County for mining activity, and flooding of the area would reduce land prices and save the company money if it expanded operations in North Carolina. Pictures of flooded and damaged areas were provided to illustrate the point.
Aside from the fact that hurricanes cannot be controlled by humans, meaning no one could have "brought" the floods to the area, some Redditors also pointed out a notable and fatal flaw in Khan's suggestion.
"Except Gaston county is Charlotte metro area and did not flood, and the photos are from Asheville an hour and a half away," one user said. "Ouch!"
"I live in Gaston less than 2 miles away from the proposed mine," another added. "Some trees were blown down. We lost power for a few days, everything is back to normal now."
It's not surprising that some people can get caught up in conspiracy theories while seeking answers in a rapidly changing world. However, unsubstantiated claims like this can cause real harm.
As CBS detailed, another conspiracy theory following Helene tried to suggest the government wanted to claim land in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, for mining activity, and the damage in the area would make it easier to do so. However, Rutherford County Emergency Management said those rumors were "entirely false."
Meanwhile, with the U.S. election approaching, some have attempted to blame damage in historically Republican areas on Democrats, with Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene a vocal exponent of this theory.
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Experts and officials have moved to disprove this suggestion.
Misinformation and fear can stop people from critically assessing the root causes of these issues. Hurricanes, for example, have been scientifically proven to be made worse as a result of human-caused global heating.
If people believe that the government or large corporations "control" the weather, that discourages efforts to reduce the production of planet-warming pollution that is making these extreme weather conditions more intense and longer lasting.
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