Conspiracy theories can be dangerous, with the proliferation of misinformation impacting our ability to make beneficial changes that could make our planet a much better place to live.

On a Reddit thread dedicated to conspiracy theories, someone added a collection of screenshots from an article by Kashif Khan that attributed flooding in North Carolina during Hurricane Helene to possible lithium mining in the state.

Khan’s post claimed that Piedmont Lithium was eyeing Gaston County for its mining operations and that flooding in the area would reduce land prices and save the company money if it expanded its operations in Carolina. North. Photos of flooded and damaged areas have been provided to illustrate this point.

Apart from the fact that hurricanes cannot be controlled by humansmeaning that no one could have “brought” the flooding to the area, some editors also pointed out a notable and fatal flaw in Khan’s suggestion.

“Except Gaston County is the Charlotte metro area and was not flooded, and the photos are from Asheville, an hour and a half from here,” a user said. “Ouch!”

“I live in Gaston, less than 3 km from the proposed mine,” another added. “Some trees were down. We lost power for a few days, everything is back to normal now.”

It’s no surprise that some people get caught up in conspiracy theories while searching for answers in a rapidly changing world. However, such unsubstantiated claims can cause real harm.

As CBS detailedanother conspiracy theory following Helen attempted to suggest that the government wanted to claim land in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, for mining activity, and that damage to the area would make this easier. However, Rutherford County Emergency Management said those rumors were “entirely false.”

Meanwhile, as the US election approaches, some have tried to blame Democrats for the damage in historically Republican areas, with Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene a vocal exponent of this theory.

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Experts and officials have decided to refute this suggestion.

Misinformation and fear can prevent people from critically evaluate the root causes of these problems. Hurricanes, for example, have been scientifically proven to be worse due to human-caused global warming.

If people believe that government or big business “controls” the weather, it discourages efforts to reduce the production of pollution that warms the planet and leaves these populations vulnerable. extreme weather conditions more intense and longer lasting conditions.

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