THE DANGEROUS CLIMATE MISINFORMATION IN THE TRUMP-MUSK CONVERSATION

Environment Policy Brief | By: Allie Amato | September 04, 2024

Featured Photo: www.carbonbrief.org

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“Not every place is warming. Some places are going in the opposite direction.”

While a conversation about the Earth’s climate crisis between two people uneducated on the topic seems innocuous, it does become gravely serious when it’s the U.S. Republican Presidential nominee and the world’s richest person having that conversation. Last month former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly known as Twitter) live-streamed a sit-down on X to inform “open-minded” voters of Trump’s stances and values. The two-hour conversation was rife with falsehoods, namely ones like the quote above, when Trump wrongly stated that the climate is merely changing, despite the undeniable fact the entire globe is rapidly warming. Many news outlets were quick to fact-check Trump and Musk. However, it’s well-documented how both men have spread misinformation. So it isn’t exactly novel that they’re attempting to spin the narrative of climate change. What’s important here, is the why: Why are they broadcasting these takes, and what do they have to gain from them?

ANALYSIS:

Former President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk have far-reaching influence, giving their statements a dangerously massive weight in terms of public opinion. Among Musk’s various false claims in their conversation, his most perilous was that humans would be starving and “the economy would collapse” if we stopped using oil and gas. Although, even the most aggressive proposals for curbing climate change still focus on phasing out our usage of fossil fuels to avoid such catastrophes.  For Trump’s part, he inexplicably stated that farmers are “not allowed to farm anymore and have to get rid of their cattle” and made equally confusing statements about electric cars. Most glaringly, Trump spoke of how the rise in sea levels is good because it would create “more oceanfront property.”

Prominent climate activist Bill McKibben calls this assertation both “offensive and ridiculous” he explains this is not only factually wrong, but also completely ignores vulnerable populations who will see the most substantial effects of rising sea levels.  According to data from The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change millions could be displaced due to rising sea levels, particularly those in low lying areas and island nations. These same places are set to experience once-rare extreme sea level events annually by 2050.  It’s unclear if Trump and Musk are merely misinformed, pushing an agenda, or perhaps a mixture of both?

Musk’s motivations are murky regarding climate change policy. What is clear though is that the billionaire endorses Trump’s plans for America as he is one of the candidate’s biggest funders. Notably, a donor giving even more money than Musk is fracking billionaire, Harold Hamm. Trump has two oil billionaires and a pipeline mogul funding his campaign as well. These insanely wealthy people are not donating money to Trump out of the kindness of their heart or in hopes of a greater America at large. The influx of cash is an assurance that their empires can keep raking in money with less and less red tape. So whether or not Trump believes what he’s touting doesn’t matter, the deals have already been made and he’s just holding up his side of the bargain.

When it comes to moves Trump and Republican lawmakers want to actually enact, probably the most influential and comprehensive proposal is The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. The Heritage Foundation is a group that has successfully dictated Republican presidential policies for decades. Trump has attempted to distance himself from the Project 2025 blueprint, but 64% of the group’s policy recommendations in 2016 were implemented or at least considered within Trump’s first year in office. Project 2025 seeks to roll back on much of the progress the Biden Administration has made in environmental policies, making it nearly impossible for America to follow through on its commitments in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The Heritage Foundation wants to also slash federal funding in renewable energy, eliminate restrictions on fossil fuel drilling, and ultimately weaken the governments policymaking capabilities and reduce federal oversight. If Trump is elected in November, it remains to be seen if he will follow through on any of these suggestions. But if history and his conversation with Musk is any indication of what Trump might do, our planet could be in even bigger trouble than it already is.

ENGAGEMENT RESOURCES:

• 350 is a group co-founded by the activist quoted above, Bill McKibben. The international group wants to put an end to fossil fuels with a big focus on lifting up the populations most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
• Climate Fact Checks is an unbiased outlet providing trustworthy information about our climate crisis based on sound scientific evidence.
• EarthRights International is a non-profit made up of not only activists and campaigners but also legal experts who seek to protect the environment by holding the most egregious climate offenders accountable.