Conspiracy theories found on foreign-language Wikipedia - BBC

The overwhelming scientific consensus is global warming is caused by humans. ... The "climate change" entry on Chinese Wikipedia lists solar ... Severalforeign-languageWikipediapagesseenbyBBCNewsarepromotingconspiracytheoriesandmakingmisleadingclaimsaboutclimatechange.Anumber,includingsomeinSwahili,KazakhandBelarusian,suggestscientistsaredividedoveritscauses.Theoverwhelmingscientificconsensusisglobalwarmingiscausedbyhumans.ArepresentativeoftheWikimediaFoundation,whichrunsWikipedia,saidtheywere"worried"bythefindingsandmorevolunteereditorswereneeded.The"climatechange"entryonChineseWikipedialistssolaractivityasoneofthepossibleexplanationsforrisingtemperaturesaroundtheworldtoday.Otherwidelydisproventheorieslistedincludeunfoundedclaimsabouttheemergenceofatotalitarianworldgovernmentandtiecallsforclimateactiontosecretivefinancialinterests.OnCroatianWikipedia,morethanathirdofthepageonglobalwarmingisdevotedtoquestioningthescienceofclimatechange,whilealsopushingconspiratorialviews.Badinformation"Thisworriesmealot,"WikimediaFoundationseniorprogrammestrategistAlexStinsonsaid."Andthisiswhyweneedmorepeopleinvolvedinthisproject."Wikipediaispublishedinmorethan300differentlanguages,eachwithitsownoriginalcontentandvolunteereditors.Openforanyonewithaninternetconnectiontoedit,thequalityofitscontentisentirelydependentonthosevolunteers.Morevolunteersindifferentlanguageswoulddecreasethechancesofconspiracytheoriesandbadinformationlingeringonthesite,MrStinsonsaid.Imagesource,WikipediaImagecaption,ThecurrentEnglish-languagearticleonclimatechangehasbeenviewedmorethaneightmilliontimesYumikoSato,aJapanesewriterbasedintheUSwhohasinvestigatedmisinformationontheplatform,said:"Wikipediaonlyworksiftheeditingcommunityislargeanddiverse."Launchedin2001,theonlineencyclopaediaisoneoftheworld'smostvisitedwebsites.TheEnglish-languageversion,thelargest,hasmorethan40,000usersactivelyeditingiteachmonth.Itsclimate-changepageshaveagroupofdedicatedvolunteereditorswhoactivelypatrolforanysignofbadinformationorpseudoscience.ButthesamedoesnotapplytomanyofthepagesinlanguagesotherthanEnglish.Inmorethan150languages,fewerthan10peopleamonthregularlyeditanypages."[Theseversions]aremuchsmallerandlackeditorialdiversity,sothatmakesthemvulnerabletomanipulation,"MsSatosaid.PushbackOneofWikipedia'scoreprinciplesisself-governance.So,unlessthecommunityofeditorsstepsin,theWikimediaFoundationcandolittle."Thefoundationhasneverintervenedoneditorialpoliciesdirectlyandthatisnotwhatwedo,"MrStinsonsaid."Weneedtopushbackonthisdisinformationinscience-butthatonlyworksifthescience-literateshowupinthatlanguage,inthatcontext,andthatWikipedia[version]."ListentoTheDenialFiles:'WefightclimatedenialonWikipedia'ontheBBCWorldService.RelatedTopicsDisinformationFakeNewsClimatechangeTopStoriesOmicrondrivesmajorsurgeinSAfricaCovidcasesPublished44minutesagoIndiareportsfirstOmicroncasesPublished1houragoWTAsuspendsChinatournamentsoverPengShuaiPublished4hoursagoFeaturesKashmiriskiertakingIndiatoBeijingOlympicsIslamistsagainstMuhammadcartoonsstagecomebackThestruggletosaveAfghanistan'sstarvingbabiesEpsteinaccusertoBBC:Maxwellamastermanipulator.VideoEpsteinaccusertoBBC:MaxwellamastermanipulatorDraggedupthestairsformyhospitalappointment.VideoDraggedupthestairsformyhospitalappointmentWhenJesusisusedtostealfromhisflockVotersinChilefacetoughchoiceasrun-offloomsWouldyougive10%ofyoursalarytocharity?BBCFuture:ThemedievalDutchsolutiontofloodingElsewhereontheBBC'Itfeelslikethegreatestgift'ChrisonbuyinghishouseinLiverpoolforjust£1Hanukkah:The'truecomfortfood'Fromlovelylatkestodecadentdoughnuts!MostRead1ScientistsfindtriggerforrareAstraZenecaclots2OmicrondrivesmajorsurgeinSAfricaCovidcases3MeghanwinsrulinginMailonSundayprivacyfight4IndiareportsfirstOmicroncases5AlecBaldwinsayshedidn'tfiregunonfilmset6HomeAlonehouseavailabletobookforanight7Pfizerboss:AnnualCovidjabsforyearstocome8FacebookuncoversChinanetworkbehindfakeexpert9Maxwelllawyersseektodiscreditkeyaccuser10TopUSjudgessignalsupportforabortionlimits