Join the fight against climate misinformation

In late February, I interviewed an ardent climate denier. I'd reached out to the B.C. homebuilder after seeing him attack proposed provincial regulations to limit the use of natural gas to heat homes. As a reporter covering climate disinformation, I was curious. With Canada crying for new homes – regardless of how they are heated – why was he so determined to eradicate rules which would have such a minor impact on his business?

It was a rough call. It is not unusual in this job for sources to talk enthusiastically about their subject of expertise, but this man was different. He talked nonstop and most of the so-called "facts" about the climate and fossil fuels he used to build his argument were demonstrably false. After nearly forty minutes, we were getting nowhere and I had another call but I asked him to send me his sources.

Minutes later, the email landed. His primary source? Jordan Peterson, an ex-University of Toronto professor, far-right talk personality and – as I've reported before – one of the Internet's most prominent climate deniers. Peterson has cited discredited researchers paid by conservative groups with tight links to the fossil fuel industry to justify his position.

I regularly think back to that interaction as a golden example of the way that climate misinformation can infect a wide audience. With online personalities like Peterson spreading false online material, our local and regional climate efforts, including B.C.'s plans to phase out the use of natural gas in homes, are at risk of being scuppered. Even the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has identified the risk of misinformation and warned in 2022 the problem is delaying vital climate action.

This is why Canada's National Observer's effort to report on climate disinformation is key. Peterson's ilk have vast money-printing online platforms; fossil fuel companies and their lobby groups can spend millions on PR campaigns and misleading online ads. Whereas, Canada's National Observer has you: a group of committed, climate-conscious readers whose support we need to continue our work.

People across the country depend on our journalism at Canada’s National Observer to navigate what’s working in the race against climate change and how to fight back. Will you join us in this fight by donating to our annual spring fundraiser? We rely on support from people like you who value in-depth, fact-based reporting. Every donation, no matter how big or small, fuels our mission so we can continue to deliver the news you rely on.

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, all donations will be matched up to $10,000 so every dollar you donate will have double the impact. All donations are also eligible for tax receipts when donated through our fiscal partner, I-SEA.

I am so proud of our work, but the powerful forces we are up against are daunting. A rapidly shrinking media landscape, extractive tech giants banning news on their platforms, and a flood of climate misinformation sweeping our feeds.

What strengthens our mission in the face of our challenges is our community of donors. Our journalism is only possible with support from readers like you.

Ask yourself this: if we are not able to fund journalism that holds climate misinformation accountable, who else would do it?

When you donate, you support our mission to lead Canada’s coverage of the climate crisis and ensure critical issues like climate misinformation stay at the forefront of our national dialogue.

You’ll be in good company. We’re grateful to count government ministers, NGO leaders, activists, CEOs, UN delegates, university professors, and more, among our supporters who rely on our journalism to understand Canada’s changing climate. Your support means we can continue to help inform millions of Canadians about the essential climate stories that affect their lives.

All donations are eligible for a tax receipt when you donate via our fiscal partner, the Institute for Sustainability, Education, and Action (I-SEA).

To receive the tax receipt, you must make your donation through I-SEA's CanadaHelps page at this link. Your donation will support our key solutions coverage area via The Climate Solutions Reporting Project (CSRP), a collaboration of I-SEA and Canada's National Observer. The reporting produced through this project with your funding will be offered free of charge on CNO. If you need help or have any questions, please contact [email protected].