Despite increasing signs of a climate in crisis, false information about this scientific reality continues to drive decision-making at the highest level, particularly in countries which have recently taken a turn towards authoritarianism. Who is spreading this false information, and how can we confront it? To find out more about this, Dr Maria Armoudian speaks to professors Eve Darian-Smith, of the University of California, Irvine; and Stuart McNaughton, of the University of Auckland.