Climate Myth Debunking for Broadcast Meteorologists

The document argues that broadcast meteorologists are uniquely positioned as trusted scientific sources to combat climate misinformation. It advocates for the use of 'psychological inoculation'—exposing audiences to misinformation techniques before they encounter them—and the 'Fact-Myth-Fallacy-Fact' structure to effectively educate the public. The guide details the FLICC taxonomy of science denial (fake experts, logical fallacies, impossible expectations, cherry picking, and conspiracy theories) and provides specific debunking scripts for ten common climate myths, such as the claim that the sun is the primary driver of current warming or that climate models are unreliable.

• Broadcast meteorologists are highly effective and trusted conduits for climate information; when they educate their audiences, viewers develop a more accurate understanding of climate change and its local risks.
• Climate misinformation can neutralize efforts to communicate accurate science because conflicting messages without a resolution can cancel each other out, potentially leading to decreased public support for vital mitigation efforts.
• The guide recommends 'psychological inoculation' to build 'cognitive antibodies' in the public, which involves exposing people to examples of misinformation techniques and their refutations so they can resist such claims in the future.
• To effectively debunk myths, the document suggests a 'Fact-Myth-Fallacy-Fact' structure and the use of the FLICC taxonomy, which categorizes science denial into five techniques: fake experts, logical fallacies, impossible expectations, cherry picking, and conspiracy theories.
• The document debunks the myth that the sun causes current climate change by noting that the sun has been cooling over the last 35 years while Earth has continued to warm.
• Regarding the reliability of climate models, the guide states they successfully reproduce Earth's temperatures since 1900 and have predicted many verified trends, though they are simulations and not perfect predictions.
• The guide addresses the 'ice age' myth from the 1970s, clarifying that 62% of published climate science at the time predicted global warming, while only 10% predicted cooling.
• The document notes that 'pluralistic ignorance'—the false belief that one's opinion is in the minority—often prevents meteorologists from discussing climate change, despite the fact that 70% of Americans believe climate change is happening.

APA

Sublette, S., Maibach, E., Lewandowsky, S., Lindmeier, B., Falcón, J. T., Orr, M., Cook, J., Borth, A., Yas, V., Bianchi, C., Guiterrez, L. V., Morales, A., Molina, M., Mendez, A. D. M., Alonso, V., Dellan, G., Gallardo, J., & Sans, I. (n.d.). Climate Myth Debunking for Broadcast Meteorologists. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Climate-Myth-Debunking-for-Broadcast-Meteorologists.pdf

Chicago

Sublette, Sean, Ed Maibach, Stephan Lewandowsky, Bob Lindmeier, Joseph Trujillo Falcón, Margaret Orr, John Cook, et al. Climate Myth Debunking for Broadcast Meteorologists. Center for Climate Change Communication, n.d. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Climate-Myth-Debunking-for-Broadcast-Meteorologists.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sublette |first1=Sean |last2=Maibach |first2=Ed |last3=Lewandowsky |first3=Stephan |last4=Lindmeier |first4=Bob |last5=Falcón |first5=Joseph Trujillo |last6=Orr |first6=Margaret |last7=Cook |first7=John |last8=Borth |first8=Amanda |last9=Yas |first9=Violeta |display-authors=etal |title=Climate Myth Debunking for Broadcast Meteorologists |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Climate-Myth-Debunking-for-Broadcast-Meteorologists.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sublettendclimate, author = {Sublette, Sean and Maibach, Ed and Lewandowsky, Stephan and Lindmeier, Bob and Falcón, Joseph Trujillo and Orr, Margaret and Cook, John and Borth, Amanda and Yas, Violeta and Bianchi, Chris and Guiterrez, Lluvia Vidana and Morales, Annareli and Molina, Maria and Mendez, Anna del Moral and Alonso, Vanessa and Dellan, Gabriella and Gallardo, Jeannette and Sans, Irene}, title = {{Climate Myth Debunking for Broadcast Meteorologists}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Climate-Myth-Debunking-for-Broadcast-Meteorologists.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }