cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/17586464

Threat level: NATO has also found that its adversaries, chiefly Russia, are spreading climate and energy-transition-related disinformation in order to undermine political will for climate action.

  • It cites an uptick in Russian disinformation tied to the European green energy transition on social media and on online news sites. Russia, a major producer of oil and gas, has an interest in slowing the transition to renewable energy sources.
  • Disaster-related disinformation is another emerging trend, which seeks to impair NATO members’ ability to respond effectively. This was observed, for example, in association with the deadly fire in Lahaina, Maui, in August of last year, the report states.
  • Russia, for example, sought to benefit from that by spreading the narrative that the U.S. should be aiding its own citizens in Hawai’i instead of Ukraine, the report notes.

What they’re saying: “Russia and other NATO adversaries use climate disinformation to sow division, delay action, and cynically undermine the public understanding of climate change in ways that put people in harm’s way during climate-exacerbated disasters,” Kate Cell, a senior climate campaign manager at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told Axios.

  • Etterra@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Probably because Russia is one of the few countries that will be able to capitalize heavily on a warmer planet. Especially since it’s much more willing to exploit climate refugees for cheap, disposable labor.

  • Seraph@fedia.io
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    5 months ago

    TBF Russia would benefit pretty massively from global warming; a lot of their unusable land might become usable.

    • mecfs@lemmy.worldOP
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      5 months ago

      That was always the joke in my friend group.

      Climate change? Yeah it’s backed by the canadian beachowners lobby, that’s why the politicians don’t care.

      • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Many Canadians i talk to don’t care about climate change cause they want longer summers and hotter weather and would be happy to never see winter again. If you don’t like winter, move somewhere it doesn’t happen, some of us enjoy all the seasons Canada has to offer.

        • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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          5 months ago

          In my part of Ontario we have near-intolerably hot summers already and people say they miss proper snowy winters. There’s more worry about tornadoes and severe flooding these days, about crops failing, and about what happens to the Great Lakes, especially when the USA starts running out of water. I don’t know who you’ve been talking to but there are also many Canadians who don’t see climate change as at all welcome.

          That said, people do keep voting Conservative or not voting at all, so they’re not helping.

  • Junkhead@slrpnk.net
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    5 months ago

    The USSR’s corpse is laughing from beyond the grave.

    When the US thought the cold war was over and that the west has won, the CIA and FBI seemed to direct their attention inwards toward the American empire whilst the KGB and GRU transformed into a new monster that adapted perfectly to a post soviet world.

    Modern Russia seems to have perfected PsyOps on a mass scale. They have for years without the West seemingly knowing or caring sowed the seeds of mass disinformation in the general population via social media. This mass disinfo campaign easily exploited the minds of reactionaries and now those seeds are bearing beautiful fruit for the oligarchs of Russia.

    The West either became complacent to the threat of Russia after the USSR fell or already had bad actors installed to ignore all the warnings signs to the threat that was Post-Soviet Russia. By the time we all realized what was happening it was all too late.

    To be honest I wouldnt be surprised if the USSR was planning something of this scale before it fell and the plan simply “changed” hands. (More like one hand gifting it to the other.)

    If any sort of actual truth or justice still exist in one hundred years it would be completely fascinating to study Russia’s rise post USSR and how they were able to so quickly cripple the once mighty West.

    • mecfs@lemmy.worldOP
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      5 months ago

      You’re so right. And now one of the two biggest parties in the US (GOP) is basically a Russian propaganda creation, along with its platform.

      Btw you might like the !astroturfing@lemmy.world community

      • Junkhead@slrpnk.net
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        5 months ago

        The GOP is at this point just an extension of Putin himself. The top ones like “judge” Clarence Thomas most certainly know they are nothing but stooges but true Flavor Aid drinkers think they are saving the white race by establishing a christofash theocracy. Its all just a means to an end by exploiting Americas religious and race issues for control and domination over Russia’s biggest rival.

        Again the USSR is giggling in its grave, if trump wins its about to kickstart Russias firm grasp over the US federal govt. Truly dark times ahead for the united states. I still somewhat believe our neolib corporate overlords will put the thumb on the scale to favor biden.

        Dont get me wrong they arnt doing it for our benefit but i think them scaring us with another trump term and possible religious dictatorship is them telling us to get in fucking line or else.

        Thats getting into extreme conspiracy so who really knows they can not care eitherway until they are literally being put against the wall themselves but they will still think it was worth it for every dollar.

        I keep an eye on the astroturfing subs but its pretty crazy how easy it is to spot on your and how many people fall for it.

        (i too fall for the occasional rage bait like an idiot)

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Russia, a major producer of oil and gas, has an interest in slowing the transition to renewable energy sources.

    That’s the main reason. NATO doesn’t need Russia or people’s opinions to prepare for climate change for the same reason the U.S. military doesn’t and is.