The energy costs of manufacturing wind turbines are recouped in one to six months; turbines are financially profitable over their lifetimes

CLAIM
Wind turbines in the US are made of toxic materials that pollute the environment, are mostly built in Germany, and will not pay off their manufacturing costs within their lifetimes.

SOURCE: Internet User, Facebook

Published: 08 Apr 2021

VERDICT

Solar geoengineering isn’t happening or damaging the planet; aircraft contrails are formed by water vapor, not chemicals

CLAIM
"The intentional dimming of direct sunlight by aircraft dispersed particles, a form of global warming mitigation known as “Solar Radiation Management”, has and is causing catastrophic damage to the planet’s life support systems."

SOURCE: Dane Wigington, Geoengineering Watch

Published: 25 Mar 2021

VERDICT

Connecting a generator to the wheel of an electric vehicle won’t recharge its battery

CLAIM
The rotating wheel of an electric vehicle can recharge the vehicle’s battery by affixing a generator

SOURCE: Ozzy's Classics, Facebook

Published: 15 Mar 2021

VERDICT

A “water-powered” car still requires other forms of fuel to work; it cannot run solely on water, contrary to viral Facebook video claims

CLAIM
There exists a car that runs solely on water

SOURCE: Anonymous, Gaia

Published: 15 Mar 2021

VERDICT

Scientists didn’t announce impending environmental catastrophes every decade since the 1970s

CLAIM
Science said in the: 70s, another ice age in 10 years; 80s, acid rain will destroy all crops in 10 years; 90s: the ozone layer will be destroyed in 10 years; 2000’s the ice caps will be gone on 10 years

SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook

Published: 03 Mar 2021

VERDICT

The scientific research facility HAARP cannot create natural disasters or influence human thoughts and movements, contrary to online claims

CLAIM
HAARP may deliberately create destruction on a global scale, causing earthquakes, cyclones, flooding, snowstorms, around the world; HAARP may be attacking the citizens of the world telepathically, influencing thoughts with low frequency vibrations

SOURCE: Anonymous, Gaia

Published: 02 Mar 2021

VERDICT

Viral photo of a helicopter de-icing a wind turbine is from Sweden, not Texas; current power outages in Texas are due to multiple fuel types going offline

CLAIM
Helicopters are using chemicals made from fossil fuels to defrost wind turbines; frosted wind turbines are responsible for blackouts in Texas; “the reason your power is/was out is wind energy's fault.”

SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook

Published: 17 Feb 2021

VERDICT

NOAA shows clear global warming trends over the past 58 years based on radiosonde data

CLAIM
“The 58 year net gain of global temperature is zero. We are simply in a cyclical, normal ebb and flow of temperature.”

SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook

Published: 05 Feb 2021

VERDICT

PragerU post by Happer uses flawed reasoning to claim that climate models always fail

CLAIM
"climate models that attempt to predict the future temperature of the planet...don’t work. They haven’t worked in the past. They don’t work now."; "the number of factors that influence climate—the sun, the earth’s orbital properties, oceans, clouds, and, yes, industrial man—is huge and enormously variable"; "CO2 is a minor contributor to the warming of the earth"

SOURCE: William Happer, PragerU

Published: 27 Jan 2021

VERDICT

Rates of global sea level rise have accelerated since 1900, contrary to bloggers’ claims

CLAIM
“there has not been a long-term distinctive change in sea level rise rates in the last 120 years”

SOURCE: Pierre L. Gosselin, Kenneth Richard, NoTricksZone, Watts Up With That?

Published: 15 Jan 2021

VERDICT