In addition to ignorance based on common cognitive biases and lack of education, there are societal forces that distort or reject both Western science and traditional knowledge, and that are fuelled by corporate greed and lust for manipulative power over others. This has been studied and is called "Agnotology".

If knowlege is truth and if the truth is good, then the deliberate hiding of truth and the spreading of ignorance and "alternative facts" are evil lies. Given the power humanity now wields over the planet, the harm that results from these lies cannot be overstated.

See:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnotology

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropocene