Here is a thread about UK Parliament's discussion of the #AustralianBushfires and its propagation of a climate denialist narrative, and about where Ministers get their information from.
1. In the UK Parliament yesterday, 9 Jan 2020,
Richard Drax MP asked:
"Can the Minister help us understand how these fires started? Arson plays a role. Does she have any evidence or feedback from the Australian Government on how the fires physically started?"
Richard Drax MP asked:
"Can the Minister help us understand how these fires started? Arson plays a role. Does she have any evidence or feedback from the Australian Government on how the fires physically started?"
2. The Minister in question, @HeatherWheeler, had *only* this to say:
"Very regrettably, it is widely reported on social media that 75% of the fires were started by arsonists."
What are we to make of this statement?
"Very regrettably, it is widely reported on social media that 75% of the fires were started by arsonists."
What are we to make of this statement?
3. It is certainly regrettable that social media has been spreading misinformation about #arson being the principal cause of #AustralianBushfires. But if that was the Minister's point, presumably she would have taken the opportunity to correct the misinformation? She did not.
4. Indeed, her opening statement to update the House on the Australian bushfires made not a single reference to #ClimateChange, which is itself rather extraordinary.
hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-0…
hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-0…
5. It's hard not to draw the conclusion that the Minister's response was her direct answer to the question, i.e., that the sole evidence she is able to provide concerning what started the fires is drawn from her reading of (very skewed) social media.
6. Given that claims about arson being a primary cause of these fires have been thoroughly debunked, I trust that @heatherwheeler will seek to correct the record at the earliest possible opportunity? I presume she would not wish to herself be a source of #misinformation?
7. No doubt the Minister has access to ample scientific expertise in the civil service, but if she prefers social media, climate scientists like @KHayhoe and @MichaelEMann are a far more reliable source than the denialist Twittersphere
8. Or if she prefers to watch a relevant piece, this one from @BBCRosAtkins does an excellent job of clarifying matters:
9. I hope Bristol MPs @ThangamMP @KerryMP and @darrenpjones will also do what they can to encourage the Minister to set the record straight in the House? @XRBristol @XRebellionUK
