Writing in The Guardian on 10 August, 2023, Oliver Milman wrote:

Videos that compare climate activists to Nazis, portray solar and wind energy as environmentally ruinous and claim that current global heating is part of natural long-term cycles will be made available to young schoolchildren in Florida, after the state approved their use in its public school curriculum.

When I read these words I was traveling south from Canberra towards Cooma, passing through country that was well grassed contrasting with my recollections of it during during the period 2002–03. Then a moderate El Niño prevailed. Though not as strong as the 1997/98 El Niño, it had significant impacts on the Monaro. The following image reveals the intensity of the drought. Parts of this familiar landscape looked like areas in the Australian deserts regions.

Records confirm that the period July 2002 to June 2003 was the third driest since 1905 when record keeping began at Cooma began.  Rainfall was 46% below the long-term annual average at 298 mm.

Climate change intensifies the El Niño phase

According to Michael McPhaden, Senior Scientist with NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory:

Extreme El Niño and La Niña events may increase in frequency from about one every 20 years to one every 10 years by the end of the 21st century under aggressive greenhouse gas emission scenarios,. . .The strongest events may also become even stronger than they are today.

McPhaden was co-editor of the book, El Niño Southern Oscillation in a Changing Climate.

Published by the American Geophysical Union, in October 2020 the work comprises 21 chapters written by 98 authors from 58 research institutions in 16 countries. It explores the latest theories, models, and observations, and reflects on the challenges of forecasting El Niño and La Niña.

Scientific journal retracts article claiming no climate crisis

On 26 August. 2023. Journalist Graham Readfearn (@readfearn), reported that the Springer Nature Journal retracted an article claiming to have found no evidence of a climate crisis. 

The article had been prepared by four Italian physicists, but investigation found there was no available evidence or data supporting the conclusions drawn in the article. 

Climate change denying groups. Published the article. Sky News, Australia., Considered by Redfern as a global hub for climate science misinformation. Produced a segment. That was viewed. 500,000 times on YouTube. 

Several climate scientists told the Guardian and later the news agency AFP that the article had misrepresented some scientific articles, was “selective and biased” and had “cherry picked” information. 

Climate change denialism is one among many conspiracy theories that I’ve uncovered in recent days.

With the assistance of Chat GPT and Microsoft 365, and my own research, here is a list of them: 

1. Moon Landing Hoax: Some people believe that the US government faked the moon landing in 1969¹. 

2. 9/11 Inside Job: Some people believe that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were orchestrated by the US government to justify war in the Middle East¹. 

3. Chemtrails: The belief that aircraft emit chemicals into the atmosphere for undisclosed purposes. 

4. Flat Earth: Rejects the scientific consensus that the Earth is a spherical shape and instead claims it is flat. 

5. New World Order (NWO): Suggests a secretive, powerful group is working to establish global control and dominance. 

6. Area 51 and Aliens: Claims that the U.S. government is hiding evidence of extraterrestrial life at Area 51. 

7. Vaccination Conspiracies: Various claims, such as vaccines causing autism or being used for population control. 

8. Global Warming Hoax: Denies the scientific consensus on climate change, suggesting it is a manufactured crisis. 

9. Elvis Presley or Tupac Shakur Faked Death: Some believe these celebrities faked their deaths to live in anonymity. 

10. JFK Assassination Conspiracies: Multiple theories question the official account of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. 

11. COVID-19 Origins: Speculations about the origin of the coronavirus, including claims of intentional release. 

12. Paul McCartney is Dead: Suggests that Paul McCartney of The Beatles died in the 1960s and was replaced by a look-alike. 

13. HAARP (High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program): Claims that this research program manipulates weather, causes earthquakes, and controls minds. 

14. The Illuminati: Often associated with the NWO, this theory posits a secret society controlling global events. 

15. Reptilian Elite: Claims that powerful leaders are actually shape-shifting reptilian aliens. 

16. Subliminal advertising: Some people believe that advertisers use subliminal messages to influence people’s behavior¹. 

17. Princess Diana’s murder: Some people believe that Princess Diana was murdered by the British royal family¹. 

18. The Fifteen Minute City conspiracy 

It is crucial to examine conspiracy theories critically and utilize evidence- based information. Many of these theories lack scientific expertise and can contribute to the spread of misinformation.  

Qanon

This deserves special mention because of its capacity to connect with higher kevels of government. Believers in the U.S.A. claimed that former President Donald Trump conducted a secret war against a cabal of satanic cannibalistic pedophiles within Hollywood, the Democratic Party, and the so-called “deep state”. It was spread extensively on social media platforms.

More to come on specific conspiracy theories.