Solar Energy News
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Google urged to step up efforts to demonetize climate falsehoods
Google urged to step up efforts to demonetize climate falsehoods
By Manon Jacob and Anuj Chopra
Washington (AFP) Oct 24, 2024

Civil society groups implored Google on Thursday to rigorously enforce its policy to demonetize environmental disinformation, saying ads placed alongside climate denial content persistently popped up despite the tech titan's pledge to crack down.

The open letter, addressed to Google chief Sundar Pichai and endorsed by thousands of signatories, comes in the wake of major hurricanes in the United States sparking an avalanche of disinformation and just weeks before the UN COP29 climate summit.

In 2021, Google announced a policy prohibiting ads alongside content that denied the existence and causes of climate change, seeking to ensure disinformation peddlers cannot monetize its influential platforms, including YouTube.

But the letter from a dozen groups, including the Union of Concerned Scientists and tech watchdog Center for Countering Digital Hate, said the ads have not stopped.

"We are urging Google to enforce the policy thoroughly and immediately to ensure it is credible, as we see climate change adversely affecting communities right now," the letter said.

While Google has demonetized some content by the Heartland Institute, a conservative US think tank, watchdogs have continued to find ads alongside its misleading climate messaging on YouTube, the letter said.

It urged Google to "immediately and permanently demonetize Heartland Institute" as well as other outlets that spread climate disinformation.

Nonprofit watchdog Check My Ads, which also signed the letter, said in a report last month that ad exchanges helped three conservative websites, including The Epoch Times, to profit from climate denialism.

Last month, another investigation by the campaign group Global Witness estimated that The Epoch Times generated around $1.5 million in combined revenue for Google and the website owners over the past year.

YouTube has also allowed the monetization of climate denial content peddled by influencers on the payroll of a Russian influence campaign, the environmental group Friends of the Earth said in a report last month.

"Google ads are directly contributing to the spread of outright lies about our planet's changing climate -- with dire impacts," the letter said.

Google did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.

The groups behind the letter said they have requested a meeting with Google's trust and safety team to discuss the violations of its demonetization policy and were waiting to hear back.

The letter follows destructive hurricanes that slammed the United States in recent weeks, triggering a torrent of misinformation that officials said hampered relief efforts.

The COP29 summit is set to start November 11 in oil-and-gas-rich Azerbaijan, where nearly 200 nations will gather in the hope of reaching a deal to boost financial assistance to help developing countries adapt to global warming.

Related Links
Climate Science News - Modeling, Mitigation Adaptation

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
CLIMATE SCIENCE
World already 'paying terrible price' for climate inaction: Guterres
Paris (AFP) Oct 24, 2024
Humanity is 'paying a terrible price' for inaction on global warming, with time running out to correct the course and avoid climate disaster, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Thursday. A new report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says the next decade is critical in the fight against climate change or any hope of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will be lost. The current pace of climate action would result in a catastrophic 3.1C of warming this century, UNEP said i ... read more

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Baylor engineers introduce ultra-clean biofuel combustion technology

Innovative catalyst converts CO2 to methane using electricity

Construction of largest research facility for e-fuel production begins in Germany

New process converts plant waste into sustainable jet fuel

CLIMATE SCIENCE
US unveils national security memorandum on AI

Perplexity seeks news allies as it challenges Google

AI system developed to evaluate IVF embryo quality using time-lapse images

Listening skills bring human-like touch to robots

CLIMATE SCIENCE
On US coast, wind power foes embrace 'Save the Whales' argument

Renewables revolt in Sardinia, Italy's coal-fired island

Government action needed for world to meet renewables goal: IEA

DLR tests innovative sensor system in wind turbine rotor blades

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Mercedes reports profit plunge on China woes

Waymo ramps up robotaxi push with $5.6 bn in funding

'Significant gaps' remain between China, EU over EV duties

Indonesia bets on SE Asia's first battery plant to become EV hub

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Eramet suspends battery recycling project in France

Fusion energy could play a major role in the global response to climate change

Huge US lithium mine gets govt approval

Mercedes opens electric car battery recycling plant

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Nuclear energy firm Orano halts Niger uranium production

Swedish court grants permit to build nuclear waste burial site

Framatome to Supply Nuclear Fuel for Hungary's Paks VVER Reactors

French uranium group Orano receives 300 mn euro injection from state

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Trees and power lines flattened as Cyclone Dana hits India

World on deadline for carbon-cutting 'quantum leap': UN

70% of Cuba's population has power back after blackout

U.S. makes $860M loan guarantee to aid Puerto Rico in strengthening its energy grid

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Adaptability of trees endures through millions of years of climate shifts

EU states approve one-year delay of deforestation rules

Colombia grants Indigenous groups new environmental authority

Indonesia biomass drive threatens key forests and orangutans

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.