Abstract
ABSTRACT Political polarization is increasingly undermining citizen trust. As authorities and science lose legitimacy due to the intensification of polarization, the barriers to finding policy solutions, particularly on divisive issues like climate change, become more daunting. Exacerbating this problem, by drawing on diverse sources of validation, including scientific findings and traditional and social media, opposing sides construct their own ‘truth,’ often fueled by misinformation and misperceptions. This phenomenon, known as factual belief polarization, is exacerbated by selective exposure within echo chambers on social media, where individuals are insulated from alternative perspectives. This paper examines polarization in public debate on climate change in the Arctic, focusing on the role of social media via X (Twitter). Through an analysis of top retweets between the period of May 2021 to April 2022, key themes related to climate change are identified and the degree of polarization assessed. In combination with an overview of the content of the tweets, the paper elucidates whether polarization is similar to general debates over climate change and what type of argumentation is made by both climate change advocates and deniers.
Published Version
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