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Dear friends,
Greta and the climate kids are under attack.
New investigations just revealed that powerful networks of
climate change deniers and far-right figures are spreading toxic smears about the 16-year-old who inspired millions of us to march.
From suggesting she's a “puppet” influenced by billionaires to claiming she’s “brainwashed” and “abused” -- people are being bombarded with disinformation about Greta and the kids. It’s just one example of how the
far right are using social media to drown out the voices of those who speak truth to power, and spread their lies to citizens everywhere.
But, we’ve found
an *AWESOME* way to defeat them...
A small Avaaz investigative team in Europe uncovered disinformation networks that generated
3 BILLION views in just a year. We splashed it all over the media, reported it to Facebook, and within days, they took it down! This was just six countries in Europe -- imagine if we could take this across the globe?!
If we all chip in now,
we can launch urgent investigations into the biggest disinformation networks everywhere. We’ll scale up the team, seek out the worst disinformation, and go big in the media to push Facebook to shut down the networks before their lies go viral.
Our beautiful Earth is on the brink, and can’t take any more. It’s what’s inspiring millions of kids to leave their classrooms and take to the streets to demand climate action. We don’t have long to save it -- so
chip in now and let’s go all out to defend our planet from the far right's bullying lies:
Hundreds of millions of citizens from Brazil to the Philippines, the US to Italy are being bombarded with far-right fake news spread on Facebook, Youtube, and WhatsApp.
The only way to stop them is to investigate these webs of lies and uncover the vast networks pumping out coordinated disinformation to influence citizens everywhere.
Attacks on the climate movement and science are just one example of how networks serving special interests use disinformation, ramp it up on social media and steer the public debate. 98% of climate scientists agree that climate change is real and humans are causing it.
If we’re to survive, we can’t let far-right trolls hijack the facts.And, we
know how to respond to this threat -- but we’ve just begun to scratch the surface. If we raise enough, we can:
- Scale up our team of investigators to take down the troll networks and train others to detect and report disinformation;
- Launch urgent investigations all over the world to protect our planet and our democracies;
- Pressure social media companies to tackle the problem, and push governments to pass regulations;
- Power a global advocacy team that produces hard-hitting reports and splashes our findings all over the media to warn the public.
This attack on the truth could be a death sentence for life on Earth --
so chip in now, and let’s fight back, and win, for our children and the amazing plants and animals that depend on us to survive:
The Avaaz community has done so much to protect life in all its forms. We’ve bought and protected thousands of acres of habitat to keep it safe, helped win the Paris climate deal, and stood by indigenous people defending their land. Now we need to do something different -- stand up for the truth, and protect our planet from the lies that could destroy it.
With hope, love and determination,
Marigona, Bert, Sofia, Christoph, Camille, Francesco, Flora and the rest of the Avaaz team
PS - This might be your first donation to our movement ever. But what a first donation! Did you know that Avaaz relies entirely on small donations from members like you? That's why we're fully independent, nimble and effective. Join the over 1 million people who've donated to make Avaaz a real force for good in the world.
More information:
Greta Thunberg, After Pointed U.N. Speech, Faces Attacks From the Right (NY Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/24/climate/greta-thunberg-un.htmlRight-wing media launch unhinged attacks on Greta Thunberg (Media Matters)
https://www.mediamatters.org/dinesh-dsouza/right-wing-media-launch-unhinged-attacks-greta-thunbergAttacks on Greta Thunberg Come from a Coordinated Network of Climate Change Deniers (Teen Vogue)
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/attacks-greta-thunberg-climate-deniersFar-right Facebook groups 'spreading hate to millions in Europe' (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/22/far-right-facebook-groups-spreading-hate-to-millions-in-europeLandmark UN report warns sea levels will rise faster than projected by 2100 (CNN)
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/25/world/un-ipcc-report-oceans-and-ice-climate-change/index.html
