On the first anniversary of the devastating storm in the Valencian Community, marked by a state funeral, the most pressing issue is the 229 preventable deaths, a tragedy that will forever haunt the political leaders who failed to rise to the occasion, especially President Carlos Mazón. A man who was slow to arrive at the Civil Protection Coordination Center (CECOPIO) on that fateful day and is even slow to resign. According to World Weather Attribution, a collaborative forum of scientists specializing in the impact of the climate crisis, the storm of October 29th was 12% more intense due to global warming caused by greenhouse gases.
Thankfully, Bill Gates has come along to calm things down by publishing a memo on his website stating that climate change "will not lead to the disappearance of humanity," and that we shouldn't be alarmist. He is one of the leading proponents of the apocalyptic view of climate change, and four years ago he published the book How to avoid climate disasterNow he's backtracking and aligning himself with the narrative dictated by the White House. This change of heart by the tech billionaire fuels the arguments of climate change skeptics and deniers, weakening the annual climate summit (COP30) to be held in Brazil.
The discrediting of science on environmental issues, with or without Gates, continues to grow. Half-truths and outright myths take hold with astonishing ease. We deny scientifically verified data and, instead, embrace falsehoods with almost religious zeal. Some are downright delusional. We don't have to look far to find examples. This week in France, the trial concluded against the promoters of a conspiracy theory claiming that Brigitte Macron, the First Lady, is actually a transgender woman. There is no evidence to support this fantasy, and, on the contrary, there is abundant evidence to the contrary. Nevertheless, the rumor, born of sexism and transphobia, and amplified by YouTubers Conspiracy theorists linked to the far right have spread like wildfire and have been swallowed as truth by millions of people.
Swallowing lies, even if it doesn't seem like it, is hard to swallow and painful. Sometimes very painful. The outlandish story about Brigitte Macron attacks women and fuels hatred toward the trans community. The watered-down, or even nonexistent, version of the climate crisis is convenient because it allows the powerful economic interests that profit from a model based on fossil fuels, environmental pollution, and the uncontrolled exploitation of the environment to continue as if nothing were wrong. And it spares us the ordeal of admitting that our lifestyle is unsustainable and needs to change.
Faced with the crisis of truth, philosopher Julian Baggini reminds us that truth, like a garden, needs tending, or it will be overrun by the weeds of myth, distortions, confusion, and lies. In Valencia, playing with the truth has left Mazón in dire straits. We'll see if it's enough to seal his political demise.
