Hannah Sladics questions why more Canadian politicians are engaging in climate denialism, and how this spells devastating repercussions for global health initiatives.

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Climate denialism has had a devastating impact on timely responses to the advancing effects of climate change. While scientific denialism itself is not new, it has become overwhelmingly prevalent in Canadian conservative political discussion. Climate denialism works “hand-in-hand” with capital motivations, with powerful corporations, such as the Oil industry, at the forefront of denialism efforts.

Political leaders world-wide have also shamelessly deployed denialism in attempts to gain financial or political influence. The effects of denialism on reactionary politics has become even more relevant – especially in the growing significance of online socio-political communities. We are seeing an orchestration of political alienation that funnels audiences into extremist political circles, ultimately spreading distrust of the scientific consensus on climate change, and instilling doubt in environmental research.

Photo Credit: MikoFox/flickr. Image Description: A burning forest.

These strategies have been observed in the US Republican Party, but Canada has been a critically overlooked global force in this disturbing political shift. Canadian climate denialism often consists in downplaying the severity of the impact of climate change, and misleading audiences with false reasoning. One example is the Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith, who implied that last year’s devastating wildfires could be attributed to conspiratorial arson attacks.

From a global health perspective, the direct repercussions of climate denialism are evident in the failure to prevent rising rates of natural disaster- and heat-related mortality, infectious disease transmissibility, as well as the scarcity of clean water and food. Climate change effects on health and well-being cross into further social disparities as well, forcing rapid community displacement, magnifying the mental health crisis and injustices in modern healthcare service availability. Moreover, vulnerable groups – including those with physical or psychological disabilities, Indigenous and racialized persons, seniors and impoverished populations – are at far greater risks of developing illnesses caused by an unequal exposure to the impacts of climate change.

And yet, climate denialism is a sickness befalling many Canadians. Online disinformation validating a distrust in science has been steadily growing on Canadian media platforms since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, peddled further by engagement from public leaders. The politicized manipulation of scientific truths, in turn, is thus at higher risk of escalation into extremist rhetoric in social media echo chambers. Canada is wedged between harm from climate change, and willingness to happily play along with nonsensical rationalizations retweeted by political leaders.

Denialism in its effects can perhaps be thought of as a “security blanket” against distressing truths, as opposed to a deliberate, malicious intent to mislead others. It’s no surprise that this is a common response to the uncomfortable realities we face. It is difficult to admit to ourselves that we play a part in something as destructive as climate change. Still, the spread of climate misinformation and disinformation has caused indisputable damage to trust in science.

When it comes to climate disinformation in Canadian politics we are like the lost leading the lost. And while many Canadians wish nothing to do with this chaos, we are inevitably affected by the decisions of our leaders. In these circumstances, we must do everything in our power to change course.

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Hannah Sladics is a current Master of Health Ethics student at Memorial University.