Climate Truth Crisis

A glossary of terms for the landscape of climate disinformation, this book brings together original entries written by leading experts in the study of disinformation and social media together with creative responses to the climate truth crisis by educators and students in art and design programmes across Europe. As a resource for creative spaces, Climate Truth Crisis explores how industry lobbying, greenwashing, conspiracy theories and social media bots function in contemporary media, and the implications for democracy through the multiple perspectives of experts, creative educators and students.

The climate crisis is an existential problem facing humanity that has become mired in political confusion. The exponential rise of false information circulating in social media and mainstream news that seeks to destabilize democratic processes is impacting humanity’s ability to deal with climate change.

This book, emerging from a three-year pan-European project investigating the impact and effects of climate disinformation on democracy, takes the position that creative and critical approaches to visual communication are key to confronting the climate truth crisis. The book brings together diverse perspectives from experts in the sociology of disinformation, visual research methods and eco-activism along with the design academics and students from seven art and design academies across Europe who have been involved in the project. It asks: How might a future communication design curriculum better support young people, students and teachers to better navigate the post-truth environment and restore trust in democratic systems to respond to the climate crisis?

Structured alphabetically around 75 key concepts in the study of climate disinformation, the book is delivered in a format intended to be usable in a design studio or classroom. It includes accessible definitions written by experts, teachers and students engaged with the CTC project, and tactics and approaches to introducing climate truth crisis into the design studio. It seeks to empower designers to evaluate climate-related news and visualize the spread of disinformation, and features visual examples of information design, video and visual storytelling to engage different publics in understanding and confronting the problem.