General Overview

Storytelling is a common way of making sense of our reality, but sometimes the stories stray far from what is true. This movement can be harmful, and prevent us from taking the steps we need to protect ourselves. With COVID-19 and climate change, there are powerful political and economic forces downplaying the risks for their own benefit.

The widespread availability of disinformation and conspiracy theories regarding climate change and COVID-19 have led to the creation of various mythologies to explain these alternative worldviews. For example, the belief that climate change is a “Chinese hoax” or is caused by weather manipulation is widespread; the 5G cell phone network and nefarious Chinese scientists have been blamed for the COVID-19 pandemic; and the ingestion or injection of disinfectants as a treatment was raised as a possibility by the president of the United States, leading to a 121% increase in disinfectant poisonings during the month of April 2020.

The End is Near

Only a major failing of our educational system in coordination with media malpractice could have produced a situation where millions of people genuinely believe blatant falsehoods. This matters because the stakes are so high, particularly as it pertains to humanity’s future existence on this planet. If climate change is not mitigated, and if environmental destruction is not halted and reversed, we could be facing the prospect of human extinction.

Conspiracy theories are often promoted by society’s most regressive elements in an attempt to divert attention away from progressive solutions, from the influence of the wealthy, and from larger systemic issues. Trump’s embrace of QAnon is an example of this dynamic in action; this theory serves as a distraction from his administration’s harmful policies and incompetence. QAnon conspiracy theorists believe that a cabal of prominent left-leaning and well-connected Satan-worshiping pedophiles are orchestrating a global child sex trafficking ring; in addition, they are also plotting against Donald Trump, who, according to this theory, is aware of this cabal and is poised to bring them to justice. Trump has retweeted QAnon-related content at least 216 times since August 20, 2020.

We live in a society where truth is too often relative or dependent upon one’s personal opinion or political orientation. The roots of this dysfunction can be traced back to the values and worldviews that shaped the formation of today’s nation states. Here in the United States, the rugged individualism of the early settlers and the cutthroat nature of life on the frontier fostered the hyper-individualistic, competition-oriented values that are still with us today. Selfishness, an extreme focus on materialism, and a deep distrust and suspicion toward minorities are modern-day manifestations of those negative foundational values we can no longer afford to ignore.

Moving Forward

We look to stories, myths, and narratives to help us explain the world around us, make sense of the past, and plan for the future. The challenges posed by climate change and the more frequent emergence of deadly pandemics will be solved not only in the realms of science and technology but also through storytelling and myth-making. Those who are interested in a just transition away from fossil fuels, preserving biodiversity, and repairing our relationship with the natural world must create mythologies and narratives that represent a compelling and irresistible vision of the kind of world we want to inhabit. Artists and those in the creative sector should be supported in their efforts to engage in this kind of visioning work using all available artistic media.

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