London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025

Freedom of Selective Speech: BBC removes list of 'positive' impacts of climate change after furious backlash

Freedom of Selective Speech: BBC removes list of 'positive' impacts of climate change after furious backlash

The BBC’s educational arm has removed references to the ‘positive’ effects of climate change from its website after coming under heavy criticism.

BBC Bitesize had prompted a furious backlash after listing the ‘benefits’ of warmer temperatures including easier access to oil in Alaska and Siberia, new shipping routes created by melting ice, and more tourist destinations.

Campaigners including environmentalist George Monbiot called it an ‘absolute disgrace’ while teachers said it did not align with the national curriculum.

Resources are produced by the BBC to help school pupils study for their exams and this particular guide was part of a section dedicated to GCSE Geography.

It previously said: ‘Evidence has shown that Earth’s temperature is rising due to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This will continue to create a number of negative and positive effects.’

By Friday this had been changed to remove the reference to ‘positive effects’ while a list of the so-called benefits had also been deleted.

Mr Monbiot had said the webpage read like ‘fossil fuel propaganda’ and would leave schoolchildren thinking global warming was ‘pretty good’.

Meanwhile, Stuart Lock, the chief executive of a group of schools in Bedfordshire, tweeted: ‘I think this is flat wrong, doesn’t align with the national curriculum or exam specs, and needs reconsidering. Climate change isn’t a “both sides” argument.’

Much of the world is currently baking in unprecedented heat – seen here is the dried out soil surface of Lake Van basin in Turkey last month


The BBC has previously faced criticism for the way it covered the issue of climate change in its news programmes.

Critics objected to the corporation giving equal weight to climate deniers, even though almost all scientific evidence shows climate change is happening.

The Bitesize page came to light in the same week when parts of the world experienced record temperatures.

In Canada, where 49C heat was recorded, whole towns have been ravaged by wildfires and hundreds of people have died.

The page had previously said there are both positive and negative impacts of climate change

Environmentalists called the list an ‘absolute disgrace’


Experts warned these types of events are only likely to get more common as the climate warms.

In the UK, climate change is expected to lead to heatwaves and intense rainfall, increasing the risk of flooding and making some parts of the country uninhabitable.

Yesterday the BBC said: ‘We have reviewed the page and have amended the content to be in line with current curricula.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
×