Claim reviews
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