By The FirstThe Washington Post faced a brutal backlash on social media this week after suggesting climate change fueled “hate speech” because of hotter temperatures.
From the Washington Post:
Washington Post weather reporter Amudalat Ajasa wrote that researchers are worried that hotter temperatures caused by climate change are spurring a rise in “hate speech.”
In her Thursday report, titled, “Hotter days bring out hotter tempers, research finds,” Ajasa cited two studies that show that because of climate change, hotter temperatures are inducing people to engage in “hate speech and hostile behavior.”
Ajasa wrote, “As temperatures around the world increase, scientists have documented large-scale environmental effects — rising sea levels, drought and famine, intense flooding and the disappearance of species. But increasingly, some researchers worry that higher temperatures might also contribute to people behaving badly.”
She added, “Two recent studies add to the idea by showing that when it gets hot out, people are more prone to hate speech and hostile behavior.”
According to the one of the studies, “hate speech on social media escalated with high temperatures.” The other found that there was “an increase in workplace harassment and discrimination at the U.S. Postal Service when the temperature eclipsed 90 degrees.”
