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In charge of our fate, we still choose to kill the Earth and ourselves

Daily Maverick · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 1187 words · By Rethabile Masilo
Political Polarization of Science Climate Change Urgency Environmentalism vs. Economic Growth
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What to know about Political Polarization of Science

In the documentary series Life on Earth, Sir David Attenborough said: “In our hands now lies not only our own future, but that of all other living creatures with whom we share Earth.” Perhaps because for the first time in human history, our species holds in…

Claims checked 14
Techniques found 5
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center86%
Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

In the documentary series Life on Earth, Sir David Attenborough said: “In our hands now lies not only our own future, but that of all other living creatures with whom we share Earth.” Perhaps because for the first time in human history, our species holds in…

Why it matters

This includes not only our Homo sapiens offspring, but the offspring of all other animals and plants as well: we’ve got our finger on the button of our very own voyage to kingdom come.

Common ground

To be fair, some of the ways we have begun to damage our planet were born from ignorance.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Appeal to Fear: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-25-in-charge-of-our-fate-we-stil…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 5 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 95% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 90% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Fear 85% confidence
Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Slogans 90% confidence
Using a brief, striking phrase to provoke an emotional reaction.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing slogans helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6
schedule Pending 4
info Single Source 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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Claim 1: “Politicians who supported expanding oil and gas production began using the slogan “Drill, baby, drill” at their rallies.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 2: “In the documentary series Life on Earth, Sir David Attenborough said: “In our hands now lies not only our own future, but that of all other living creatures with whom we share Earth.””
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While evidence confirms David Attenborough produced 'Life on Earth' and is a naturalist, none of the provided search results or Wikipedia snippets contain the specific quote mentioned in the claim.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sir David Frederick Attenborough ( AT-ən-bər-ə; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, naturalist and writer. His presenting career began as host of Zoo Quest in 1954, and has spanned seven decad…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Attenborough
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a chronological list of television series and individual programmes in which Sir David Attenborough is credited as a writer, presenter, narrator, producer, interviewee, or other role.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Attenborough_filmography
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Planet Earth III is a 2023 British nature documentary series produced by the BBC Studios Natural History Unit in co-production with The Open University, BBC America, ZDF, France Televisions and NHK. I…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Earth_III
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 3: “Rethabile Masilo is a Mosotho poet from Lesotho who lives in Paris, France.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 4: “For a long time, people thought lemmings would get so overcrowded that they’d form huge groups and jump off cliffs into the sea to kill themselves. It was nothing more than a myth.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results to evaluate this claim.
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Claim 5: “In 2015, the late US senator James Inhofe walked into the Senate holding a snowball and used it to argue that global warming wasn’t real”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent news sources (Time, National Journal/C-SPAN) confirm that Senator James Inhofe brought a snowball into the Senate in 2015 to argue against global warming.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2002 United States Senate election in Oklahoma was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe won re-election to a second full term. This was the only Oklahoma U.S. Sen…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_United_States_Senate_elec…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Inhofe Amendment was an amendment to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, a United States Senate bill that would have changed current immigration law allowing fewer immigrants into th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inhofe_Amendment
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — James Mountain Inhofe (; INN-hoff; November 17, 1934 – July 9, 2024) was an American politician who served from 1994 to 2023 as a United States senator from Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Inhofe
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 6: “In France, wine-growing is slowly crawling north; the traditional southern winelands are becoming too hot and too dry while the north is getting milder and more temperate.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One source mentions traditional wine regions facing decline while northern areas expand in Europe, but the evidence provided is general and does not specifically detail the 'crawling north' in France as a specific documented trend in the provided snippets.
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web search NEUTRAL — Traditional wine regions face decline while northern areas expand. Crop-growing zones are shifting north as temperatures continue rising. Hotter weather increases cold-chain costs through higher energ…
https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2026/07/27/6-ways-…
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web search NEUTRAL — New research from Northern Arizona University shows rising temperatures are causing Earth’s coldest forests to shift northward, raising concerns about biodiversity, an increased risk of wildfires and …
https://in.nau.edu/news/berner-goetz-research/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — They predict that during the northern hemisphere’s summer, wet areas will get wetter and dry areas will get drier. In the northern winter, they say, the earth’s thermal equator, which governs the loca…
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2017/05/31/in-a-warmer-wor…
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Claim 7: “Weather refers to what’s happening outside now or this week, whereas climate is the average weather over many years, in a region or across the planet.”
CORROBORATED
ESA and other academic/educational sources clearly define the difference between weather (short-term) and climate (long-term average).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The difference between weather and climate is simply a matter of time. Weather refers to the short-term conditions of the atmosphere, while climate describes the average weather conditions over a long…
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureE…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Weather is concerned with short-term changes in the atmosphere, while climate focuses on long-term trends and averages 24. This distinction is often summarized by the phrase, "Climate is what you expe…
https://consensus.app/questions/the-difference-between-weath…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Weather is the short-term state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place, while climate is the long-term average of weather conditions in a region.
https://studyx.ai/questions/4lnbyof/what-is-difference-betwe…
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Claim 8: “the ozone layer, the region of Earth’s stratosphere that contains a high concentration of ozone gas (O₃) and absorbs most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (National Geographic, Brainly, METEO 3) confirm the ozone layer is in the stratosphere, consists of ozone gas, and absorbs harmful UV radiation.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Atmospheric ozone absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, particularly harmful UVB-type rays. Exposure to UVB radiation is linked with increased risk of skin cancer and cataracts, as well as …
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/ozone…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — When ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation, the ozone molecule is destroyed, creating an oxygen gas molecule (O2) and a single oxygen atom. Of course, these constituents can rebond to form ozone again..…
https://courses.ems.psu.edu/meteo3/node/2126
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere, between 10 and 50 kilometers above the Earth's surface. It protects life on Earth by absorbing most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation.
https://brainly.com/question/48091344
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Claim 9: “The layer developed a serious thinning, often referred to as a “hole,” because manufactured chemicals released chlorine and bromine into the atmosphere.”
CORROBORATED
Britannica and other web sources explicitly state that the 'ozone hole' (thinning) was caused by manufactured chemicals releasing chlorine and bromine.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The ozone hole is a region of depleted ozone in the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere. This thinning is caused by the release of chemical compounds containing gaseous chlorine or bromine from indust…
https://www.britannica.com/science/ozone-layer
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The ozone layer filters out dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the sun that can cause skin cancer and damage many life forms. It may have been essential for the development of life on Earth.
https://e360.yale.edu/features/thirty-years-after-the-montre…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The main cause of ozone depletion and the ozone hole is manufactured chemicals, especially manufactured halocarbon refrigerants, solvents, propellants, and foam- blowing agents (chlorofluorocarbons (C…
https://corporate.immergo.tv/in-the-destruction-of-the/
info
Claim 10: “In the 1980s, politician Al Gore became one of the first prominent government leaders to warn the public about climate change.”
SINGLE SOURCE
Wikipedia confirms Al Gore is an environmentalist and former VP, but the provided snippets do not explicitly state he was 'one of the first prominent government leaders' to warn the public specifically in the 1980s.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kristin Carlson Gore (born June 5, 1977) is an American author, screenwriter, and director. She is the second daughter of former U.S. vice president Al Gore and advocate Tipper Gore (née Aitcheson).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristin_Gore
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under Pres…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gore
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Karenna Aitcheson Gore (born August 6, 1973) is an American author, lawyer, and climate activist. She is the eldest daughter of former U.S. vice president Al Gore and Tipper Gore and is the founder an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karenna_Gore
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Claim 11: “But it is now healing thanks to global bans”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the ozone layer is healing due to the global phase-out of banned ozone-depleting substances (e.g., via the Montreal Protocol).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nearly 99% of banned ozone-depleting substances have now been phased out globally. This is the single biggest reason the ozone layer is healing today it proves that coordinated global action, backed b…
https://www.grow-trees.com/blog/93/the-ozone-layer-is-healin…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Despite the ban on ozone-depleting substances, these chemicals have very long lifetimes in the atmosphere, so full ozone recovery isn’t expected to take place for several decades. The ozone layer will…
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2238542-the-ozone-layer…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Climate 101: Ozone DepletionThe ozone layer helps to protect life from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Find out what caused the ozone hole, and how the 1989 Montreal Protocol sought to put an end to oz…
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/ozone…
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Claim 12: “The UN says Earth will soon pass the 1.5°C Paris Agreement warming limit.”
CORROBORATED
The IPCC and UN-related reports confirm the 1.5°C limit from the Paris Agreement and indicate that this threshold is likely to be reached or exceeded soon.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio de Janeiro Conference or the Earth Summit (Portuguese: ECO92, Cúpula da Terra), was a major United Nations c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Summit
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The flag of Earth is a conceptual idea proposing a unified flag design that represents the entire planet rather than any single nation, culture, or political entity. Its purpose is to symbolize Earth …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Earth
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations System. Its mandate is to provide leadership, deliver scienc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Environment_Pro…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 13: “George HW Bush (the father) even mocked him by calling him “ozone man”.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 14: “Donald Trump picked up the catchphrase during his 2024 campaign and continues to use it repeatedly now that he has returned to the presidency.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.