Claim reviews
Earth’s surface continues to warm due to greenhouse gas emissions, contrary to claims by Christopher Monckton in Watts Up With That
CLAIM
“...Seven and a half years have passed since there was any trend in global warming at all” If global warming was caused by human emissions, temperature would rise at a steady rate
SOURCE: Christopher Monckton, Watts Up With That
Published: 11 Apr 2022
VERDICT
Robust scientific evidence supports that human activity drives global warming, contrary to claims in a CO2 Coalition blog post by Andy May
CLAIM
"There is no evidence, other than models, that human CO2 emissions drive climate change and abundant evidence that the Sun, coupled with natural climate cycles, drives most, if not all, of recent climate changes"
SOURCE: Andy May, CO2 Coalition
Published: 16 Mar 2022
VERDICT
More than 75 percent of the Amazon rainforest is losing resilience, as described by the Washington Post
CLAIM
More than 75 percent of the rainforest is losing resilience; More than half of the rainforest could be converted into savanna in a matter of decades
SOURCE: Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post
Published: 15 Mar 2022
VERDICT
Coral cover in the Great Barrier Reef improved in 2021, but that doesn’t mean the reef is ‘growing quickly,’ contrary to Daily Wire claim
CLAIM
Study Shows The Great Barrier Reef Is Growing Quickly
SOURCE: Ben Zeisloft, The Daily Wire
Published: 30 Oct 2021
VERDICT
Electric cars aren’t seven times more expensive than gasoline-powered cars, as claimed on Facebook
CLAIM
An electric car “costs more than seven times as much” as a gasoline powered car
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 21 Oct 2021
VERDICT
A 2014 study showed that the US Corn Belt is one of the biggest primary producers on Earth in July, but didn’t show that it produces more oxygen than the Amazon
CLAIM
"the US corn crop, at its peak, produces 40% more oxygen than the Amazon rainforest."
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook (see claim in context)
Published: 23 Sep 2021
VERDICT
Global warming contributes to increased heat-related mortality, contrary to Bjorn Lomborg’s unsupported claims that climate change is saving hundreds of thousands of lives each year
CLAIM
"Global warming saves 166,000 lives each year"; those claiming that climate change is causing heat-related deaths are wrong because they ignore that the population is growing and becoming older
SOURCE: Bjorn Lomborg, New York Post, Facebook
Published: 15 Sep 2021
VERDICT
Sea temperatures around the Great Barrier Reef have increased over the last 150 years, contrary to claim at Wattsupwiththat
CLAIM
"Great Barrier Reef Sea Surface Temperature: No Change In 150 Years"
SOURCE: David Mason-Jones, Wattsupwiththat?
Published: 08 Sep 2021
VERDICT
Solar forcing is not the main cause of current global warming, contrary to claim by Alex Newman in the Epoch Times
CLAIM
The Sun and not human emissions of carbon dioxide may be the main cause of warmer temperatures in recent decades. There is a systemic bias in UN IPCC's data selection.
SOURCE: Alex Newman, The Epoch Times, The Western Journal, Newsmax
Published: 30 Aug 2021
VERDICT
Despite 2021 being a good year for coral health, coral in the Great Barrier Reef has declined over the past decade and is threatened by climate change, contrary to claims by Peter Ridd
CLAIM
“The amount of coral on the Great Barrier Reef is at record high levels”; those claiming the reef is threatened by climate change are alarmists
SOURCE: Peter Ridd, The Australian, Climate Change Dispatch, Watts Up With That?
Published: 21 Aug 2021
VERDICT