Conspiracy theories that misrepresent the extreme weather blame state institutions in Italy, Spain and Greece for these climate disasters.
They are part of European climate change denialism Reports A study by a European fact-checking organization, the report specifically examines climate misinformation prevalent in these three countries.
The book analyses some of the extreme weather events that have occurred in Italy, Greece and Spain over the past few years and examines the misinformation narratives that have emerged in the wake of these events.
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The report highlights how the narrative linked these events to state actors, and what role prominent politicians and public figures played in spreading this misinformation.
The first case concerns severe flooding in Italy, which gave rise to conspiracy theories attributing the floods to local authorities and geo-engineering.
In Spain, misinformation was spread blaming the state for the water shortages. In this case, it was discovered that the political camp of the Spanish far-right party Vox was also spreading related information that government authorities were draining dams to exacerbate the water crisis.
Finally, the report analyses the situation in Greece, where a misinformation narrative linking wildfires to environmental infrastructure such as wind turbines has been developed, building on existing false narratives.
The summer has already been marked by extreme weather, with heat waves hitting southeastern Europe in June. Greece To Hungary and Türkiyesevere storms and floods Impact on UEFA European Football Championship in GermanyThe report’s authors agree that these types of conspiracy theories are likely to continue to emerge.
