Burning Questions: What’s driving climate misinformation (and what to do about it)?

How We Survive

In the wake of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, the internet was flooded with conspiracy theories and misinformation, ranging from false claims that the government geo-engineerd the storm on purpose, to false rumors around FEMA blocking aid from people who needed it.

In this installment of “Burning Questions,” “How We Survive” host Amy Scott interviews climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe to find out what drives conspiracy theories after a climate disaster and what we can do to combat misinformation with our friends and loved ones.

Resources to combat misinformation:

• Katharine Hayhoe’s tools
• FEMA’s hurricane rumor response
• Skeptical Science resources
• National Climate Assessment