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It’s likely you have learned about those metered strikes that never happen. Or the fact that some islands on the planet can just only exist for ten years approximately before being submerged by global warming, nevertheless they still exist fifty per cent of a century later. While global warming may be a threat, are we getting fake survival warnings to get ready ourselves if you have still time?

All major issues concerning individual nations just like the 2016 Presidential election in US and the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom or those problems that are of concern to depends upon like the matter of global warming and climate change are threatened by fake news which could cause catastrophic results. While the topic of fake news has gained a wider audience following 2016 US election, fake news has still had a worrisome affect us.

Fake news is not really a recent phenomenon and has existed for a long time but its impact has become more widespread with the spread of the web and social media. The fake news phenomenon has been aided by the rapid expansion of the digital medium and its capacity to provide any message across the globe at lightening fast speed. It leads to a situation where such fake news can’t be checked, verified or challenged before it’s made available worldwide.

Scientists grapple with fake news. Scientists studying climate change are grappling with this particular phenomenon of fake news which is able to sow the seeds of confusion in the minds of both most people whose support is required to implement changes to truly save the environmental surroundings in addition to your choice makers who have the responsibility of creating decisions which even though painful are necessary to prevent further environmental damage.

In such a scenario it’s necessary that scientists step-up their efforts for wider dissemination of correct and factual data so that people become more science literate and can appreciate facts since they are and aren’t swayed by misinformation campaigns and deliberately leaked fake news. World bodies just like the United Nations believes that the 2030 sustainable development goals may be met only when scientific literature and discoveries obtain a wider audience.

The misinformation campaigns and deliberately leaked fake news and controversies have led to a situation where polls both in the US and UK show that although a large majority of scientists agree to the fact that climate change phenomenon of the current era is essentially fueled by human activities, the general populace is not conscious of such unanimity on the matter while many believe that it’s still an unsettled issue. Such a large scale denial of climate change and its causes is due to of the failure of the scientific community to effectively challenge fake news in regards to the issue.

An alteration of habits is needed. Inside their quest of wider dissemination of correct and factual data, scientists must change their long ingrained habit of sharing Newsonline information on the list of scientific community as their prime objective and instead must develop the habit of sharing their information not just with the scientific community but with most people also.

Inside their pursuit of disseminating scientific information scientists must use the help of latest technological tools so they can develop effective method of two-way communication with the general public. The new interdisciplinary field of translational ecology can help scientists work towards changing environmental research into public policy.

Turning the present scenario into one where society understands and appreciates their standpoint and is able to ascertain and understand the factual statements about climate change is essential if environmental issues are to receive widespread support across the world. Among the ways by which we could support the growth of scientific temper is to understand what fake news is and trying to prevent it from spreading.

What’s fake news? From the time ancient times, rulers have indulged in slanting and planting news to serve their interests. But giving a slant to a news to accommodate one’s beliefs or ideology can’t be called fake news. Fake news may be described as a completely fabricated story without any basis that’s been floated by vested interests to serve their very own purpose.

We are also to blame! Today with the advent of the web everyone from a person to media to government have a share in the spread of fake news although their motives to do this can vary from increasing political clout, to achieving financial goals or any personal agenda. But how to understand whether the news is genuine or fake?

In sifting for fake news, go through the origins of the news. If it’s carried by the best supply of news chances are that it will not be fake but if it’s comes from sources you’ve not been aware of or are regarded as of dubious nature then you definitely must take such news with a touch of salt and verify it from the known authentic source prior to starting believing it. The absolute most obvious solution for checking the spread of fake news is human intervention. Technology alone cannot sift and segregate fake news. Realizing this dimension Facebook has started this type of practice and has enlisted International Fact Checking Network to check into that news that users have flagged as deliberate fakes.

Stopping the spread of fake news, you yourself must start to take responsibility of everything you share. Don’t share anything on the social media marketing without starting the detail of the story or the photograph. Check the foundation of the story or the photo you desire to circulate and only when they come from some reputable sources should you share them.