Disinformation, spread mostly over social media platforms, has made the already stressful job of tracking extreme weather even more so, he said. Such campaigns can also threaten human life if people refuse to heed forecasters’ warnings or if beleaguered emergency workers can’t do their jobs.
To combat disinformation and educate the public about weather and climate, Shepherd and other meteorologists have taken to social media themselves. But he acknowledges that not everyone will be receptive: Trust in science and scientists is, in some communities, at an all time low. That’s especially worrisome, Shepherd said, because extreme weather will only “ramp up more unless we act and reduce carbon emissions.”
