Hey everyone, I'm Amy Scott, host of how we survive.

And today we're back with another installment of burning questions.

Since Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck a few weeks ago,

there has been an onslaught of conspiracy theories

and misinformation circulating on social media. From the false idea that somehow the government through geoengineering

unleashed these hurricanes, to rumors that FEMA was blocking aid to people who

needed it and prevented people from evacuating.

Again, not true.

So what is driving this kind of climate misinformation?

To find out, I talked with Catherine Hayho. She's a climate scientist, the chief scientist for the Nature Conservancy, and a professor at Texas Tech University.

Catherine and I talk about why conspiracy... Professor at Texas Tech University,

Catherine and I talk about why conspiracy theories

tend to circulate after climate disasters,

how people's religious and political ideologies

have become intertwined, and how that affects perceptions of climate change.

And Catherine gives a lot of resources for combating misinformation in our own lives with our friends and loved ones.

And just a note, I caught Catherine at the Nature Conservancy offices in New York City, as you'll

hear from some street traffic from time to time.

I really enjoyed learning from

Catherine and I hope you do too.

So Catherine as a climate scientist who thinks a lot about science communication,

what did you think when you started hearing these rumors?

...