Study Reveals Subtle Misinformation Poses Growing Threat

Climate Educator Counters Joe Rogan’s Misleading Climate Change Claims

A TikTok educator is gaining attention for systematically debunking misleading climate change information shared on one of the world’s most popular podcasts. Patrick Lavery, who posts educational content under the handle @attlas_pat, recently addressed incomplete claims made by Joe Rogan about Earth’s historical temperature patterns.

In his viral video, Lavery examines a chart titled “The history of Earth’s surface temperature” that Rogan referenced during a podcast episode. The chart itself contains factually accurate information, showing that Earth experienced significantly higher temperatures in the distant past—particularly during the period around the dinosaur extinction—and has undergone a general cooling trend over the last 50 million years.

“This is one of the more insidious forms of misinformation because what Joe Rogan says isn’t technically incorrect, he just doesn’t capture the full picture,” Lavery explained in his post.

Drawing from sources including The Wall Street Journal and “An Introduction to Modern Climate Change” by climate scientist Andrew Dessler, Lavery contextualizes the information that Rogan’s segment omitted. He notes that approximately 55 million years ago, the Arctic region supported alligators and forests in temperatures roughly 15 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than today.

While these facts align with Rogan’s commentary, Lavery emphasizes the critical distinction between past and present climate change: the unprecedented rate of warming humanity is currently experiencing.

According to Lavery’s explanation, historical warming periods occurred at approximately 0.06 degrees Celsius (0.11 degrees Fahrenheit) per century. In stark contrast, today’s warming rate has accelerated to about one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) per century—16 times faster than previous natural climate shifts.

This dramatic acceleration has profound implications that Rogan’s discussion failed to address. If current warming trends continue, the consequences would extend far beyond more intense heat waves. Rapid sea level rise would threaten coastal populations worldwide, while ecosystems and agricultural systems would face unprecedented pressure to adapt.

“Even if people wanted to live in a hotter world, humanity wouldn’t be able to adapt fast enough,” Lavery argues. The cascading effects would include more frequent crop failures, accelerated biodiversity loss, and coastal flooding at scales that would overwhelm human adaptation capabilities.

Climate communication experts note that this type of selective presentation of scientific information—sharing accurate but incomplete data—represents a particularly challenging form of misinformation to counter. Unlike outright falsehoods, which can be directly refuted, contextual omissions require more nuanced responses.

Rogan’s podcast reaches an estimated audience of over 11 million listeners per episode, making it one of the most influential media platforms globally. When topics like climate science are presented without proper context on such platforms, the potential for public misunderstanding increases significantly.

Lavery’s educational efforts represent part of a broader movement of science communicators using social media platforms to provide accessible climate science information. By breaking down complex climate concepts into digestible content, these educators aim to help audiences better understand both the scientific consensus and the urgency surrounding climate action.

As online discussions about climate change continue to shape public understanding, the role of educators like Lavery highlights the ongoing tension between simplified media narratives and the nuanced reality of climate science in public discourse.