Facebook takes a stand and launches a project to spread correct information on global warming
It's called Climate Science Information Center and it's Facebook's answer against fake news on climate and climate change. The blue giant takes a position on one of the hottest topics (in the true sense of the word) of the public debate that, however, for scientists is much less divisive than it is for ordinary people: almost all of them, in fact, have no doubt that climate change exists and is caused by human activities.
Facebook, however, is a place where they discuss a lot and everything. Climate included. And on Facebook there is ample space also for the so-called deniers, who have numerous pages with many members. Facebook cannot certainly censor them, nor can it close one of these pages from one day to the other without triggering very strong reactions. What Facebook can do for the climate and against denialism, instead, is to suggest us the most scientifically reliable sources on this delicate topic. And that's exactly what it plans to do with the Climate Science Information Center. Here's what it is.
Climate Science Information Center: what is it
The Climate Science Information Center is basically an aggregator of news on climate, from sources selected by Facebook itself. Those who choose to "follow" this aggregator receive in their Facebook Home the news published by the entities that are part of the project, which at the moment are only six: NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Meteorological Organization and the World Climate Research Programme.
What Facebook is doing for the climate
To tell the truth, however, Facebook itself has long been the target of criticism from environmentalists, as have all the big boys on the Web. The reason is simple: to keep up the company's social networks it takes thousands of servers and data centers scattered around the world, which have almost incalculable energy consumption. And producing electricity causes CO2 emissions.
Facebook has decided to respond to these criticisms with facts, but in two stages: by the end of this year all its servers will use only renewable energy and by 2030 the entire chain of its suppliers will be zero emissions. To get to the first goal, it has already signed power supply contracts with companies that produce electricity only from renewable sources.