After right-wing author and media personality Jordan Peterson shared a chart on X suggesting current rising global temperatures are part of a centuries-old natural climate cycle, content creator and climate advocate Aaron Hagey-Mackay felt a responsibility to debunk the misleading claim.

Scientists have long known that global temperatures are indeed rising at an alarming rate due to pollution and environmental degradation. But Peterson shared a graph showing temperatures have trended up and down throughout the last 10,000 years, implying we are at the beginning of a naturally occurring uptick rather than experiencing human-caused climate shifts.

In his TikTok, Hagey-Mackay (@aaronh_m) was visibly distressed by the sharing of "disinformation about the climate crisis to 13 million people." Debunking the shared data, Hagey-Mackay took viewers through a closer look at the chart shared in Peterson's post. 

@aaronh_m Once again Jordan Peterson spreads disinformation about climate change to please his fracking sugar daddies, the Wilks brothers. #debunked #climatechange #lettheearthbreathe #jordanpeterson #leftist #disinformation #lies #science #chart #twitter ♬ Spinning Monkeys - Okasansan08

The chart actually documents estimated temperatures from about 8,000 B.C. to 1885 A.D., not present day. As Hagey-Mackay pointed out, that's before human-caused pollution was at its peak, leaving out much of the Second Industrial Revolution and beyond.

Even more egregious, the chart comes from a study that looks at the temperatures of Greenland — and only Greenland. While the chart offers an accurate depiction of Greenland's temperatures, it's in no way a reflection of the climate crisis.

Importantly, Hagey-Mackay traced the misinformation back to a climate change skeptic on X who has been working in the oil and gas industry for 20 years. He highlights this as a motive for spreading misleading information.

"A common tactic disinformation spreaders use is to take real science and present it out of context to draw their own false conclusions," Hagey-Mackay said in the video. 

This misleading information was presented as fact to Peterson's massive social media audience. And the misrepresented data has the potential to downplay the reality of human-driven climate shifts and environmental pollution. This can undermine public understanding of the climate crisis — and delay necessary climate action.

Verifying information shared online is crucial for users of social media, especially when dealing with such serious topics. Misinformation can spread quickly, shaping public opinion, policies, and behaviors that are based on false interpretations. When inaccurate data or out-of-context claims go unchecked, they can subvert scientific research and stall meaningful action. 

To independently verify information, it's important to check the source to ensure the data is reputable, unbiased, and backed by evidence. Look for peer-reviewed studies, check dates to ensure the data is current, and see if claims are supported by experts in the field.

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In response to Hagey-Mackay's video, several commenters emphasized the harm of spreading false narratives — especially when public figures do so.

"Extra egregious as he knows what he is doing and has a large platform," one wrote.

"This analysis is spot on," another added. "You won't believe how many people cite this chart to me as CC is bulls***."

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