A global disinformation campaign is undermining climate action, weakening democracy and posing a direct threat to human survival, according to new security analysis.

A war is quietly being waged against humanity that threatens the security not only of all nations but of the entire planet and all its people.

The warning comes in the latest report from the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group (ASLCG), a taskforce of distinguished military and defence personnel headed by former Australian Chief of Defence, Admiral Chris Barrie.

The warning is particularly relevant to outmoded militaries like those of the USA and Russia, with their World War II force structures and assumptions, that are now being outgamed by asymmetric opponents, adding fresh meat to the 1920s proverb that “generals always prepare to fight the last war”.

According to the ASLCG, the war now being waged is not with bombers and warships, nor even with drones and smart missiles. It is being waged with misinformation – and its war aim is to cripple all efforts by humanity to avoid a climate catastrophe.

“Over the last two decades, anti-climate action propaganda and disinformation networks have grown into multi-billion dollar permanent campaigns that run across the entire information ecosystem, with expenditure globally of up to $7 billion dollars a year.” the report states.

“Power in this digitally networked age comes from dominance in the information space and (we) are now living in a world increasingly shaped by propaganda and disinformation rather than factual information.

“These campaigns may be best understood through a lens of information warfare, combining traditional media influence, coordinated online activity and algorithmic amplification to shape narratives and perceptions at scale.”

The Group has long argued that global heating........

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