Introduction

In recent years, the struggle to defend evidence-based science has become a defining challenge of public life. Climate scientist Michael E. Mann and vaccine scientist Peter J. Hotez argue that this crisis is not accidental but driven by five powerful forces - plutocrats, petrostates, pros, propagandists, and the press.

"It's not climate change that needs to be tackled. It is the political power of the fossil fuel industry."

Richard Denniss, Director of The Australia Institute

Each force shapes a landscape where misinformation thrives and scientific institutions are undermined. Their analysis reveals a coordinated ecosystem of influence that distorts public understanding and obstructs solutions to global threats.

Plutocrats: wealthy individuals and corporate magnates - wield outsized influence over public discourse. Their funding networks shape think tanks, political campaigns, and media outlets that cast doubt on scientific consensus, particularly around climate change and public health. These actors often have direct financial stakes in delaying regulation or sowing uncertainty. Their resources allow fringe ideas to masquerade as legitimate debate, creating a fog of confusion that weakens democratic decision-making.

Petrostates: amplify this dynamic on a geopolitical scale. Nations whose economies depend on fossil fuels have long invested in campaigns to undermine climate science, obstruct international agreements, and frame environmental action as a threat to national sovereignty. Their influence extends into global energy markets, diplomacy, and media ecosystems, ensuring that scientific warnings about planetary risk are met with political inertia. Mann and Hotez identify these states as central pillars of the antiscience movement, capable of shaping global narratives through both overt policy and covert disinformation.

Pros: professional operatives, lobbyists, and consultants - serve as the connective tissue between money, politics, and messaging. They craft narratives, mobilize political actors, and engineer campaigns designed to erode trust in scientific institutions. Their work is often invisible to the public, yet it is instrumental in transforming isolated misinformation into coordinated influence operations

Propagandists: ranging from ideologically driven media personalities to coordinated online networks - translate these strategies into emotionally charged stories. They weaponize outrage, fear, and identity to turn scientific issues into cultural battlefields. During crises such as pandemics or extreme weather events, propagandists exploit uncertainty to push falsehoods that spread faster than corrective information, leaving scientists struggling to regain public trust.

Press: particularly segments of the media that prioritize sensationalism or partisan framing - can unintentionally magnify antiscience narratives. Mann and Hotez emphasize that while journalism is essential to democracy, certain media ecosystems reward conflict over clarity, false balance over accuracy, and speed over verification. This environment allows antiscience actors to dominate attention and shape public perception.

Together, these five forces form a powerful coalition that threatens society's ability to respond to existential challenges - from pandemics to climate change. Mann and Hotez argue that recognizing these forces is the first step toward countering them. Their work is ultimately a call to action: to strengthen scientific institutions, expose the channels of dark money, and rebuild a culture where evidence, not ideology, guides our collective future.