Outgoing Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson wants to see the renewable energy industry get more active in the halls of [the Australian] government to fend off fossil fuel-funded disinformation.
It’s been a year since the senator launched the federal inquiry that would start unveiling who is funding fake climate and energy news, and he urged the industry to play its “important” role in holding governments accountable to stay true to their promises to deal with mis- and disinformation.
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Mis- and disinformation has devastated communities involved with renewable energy projects for years, from television news stations making things up in stories about wind turbines and electric vehicles, to farmers being attacked and ostracised for wanting to host projects on land they own.
The inquiry delivered a report with 21 recommendations in March which the federal government adopted but now needs to invest in to make happen, from better funding for research and independent media to wrestling with the algorithm.
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“We need to understand that there are interests out there that are deliberately degrading our information environment, particularly around climate change,” Whish-Wilson says.
