Greener Living
Wildfires and Extreme Weather Are Driving Climate Denialism Online
Scientists have said for years global warming will lead to more natural disasters. Now that it’s happening, some dark theorists on social media are spreading disbelief.
Burned cars and homes in Lahaina, Hawaii.
Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
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When images and video of the tragic blazes in Maui began to filter out across the internet, rumors also started to spread. Across Facebook, TikTok and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, commentators shared wild speculations that the fires, which have now taken the lives of more than 100 people, were the product of arson, a plot to clear the land for billionaires or, most bizarrely, space lasers.