Claim reviews
Nearly three decades on, the chemtrail-HAARP geoengineering conspiracy theory remains popular despite lack of evidence and no scientific basis
CLAIM
Global weather is controlled by secret geoengineering programs using chemtrails and ionosphere heating facilities.
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 31 Aug 2023
VERDICT
Magnetic poles reversals are not cataclysmic events as claimed in the ‘Adam and Eve’ theory discussed on Joe Rogan podcast
CLAIM
Magnetic poles reversals involve the Earth flipping vertically and momentarily stopping its rotation, causing cataclysmic events during 6 days.
SOURCE: Joe Rogan & Jimmy Corsetti, TikTok & Spotify
Published: 14 Jun 2023
VERDICT
Temperatures on Earth are increasing and the rise is drastically outpacing previous natural changes in the planet’s climate
CLAIM
“We have been cooling down for the past 4000 years”; the Earth has cooled since the ‘medieval warming’, “It’s all about when you start the measurements”
SOURCE: Ian Plimer, Media Research Center
Published: 15 May 2023
VERDICT
The Antarctic’s ice coverage is not increasing to record levels, nor is the continent getting colder, contrary to Curry and Easterbrook claims in CFACT movie
CLAIM
Antarctic sea-ice extent is increasing to record levels. Antarctica is getting colder; its sea ice and ice cap are not melting
SOURCE: Judith Curry and Don Easterbrook, CFACT
Published: 28 Apr 2023
VERDICT
The strands of cloud seen behind aeroplanes are trails of condensed water known as contrails, they are not chemtrails as some believe
CLAIM
Chemtrails contain toxic substances such as barium salts that are 10 thousand times more toxic to your nervous system than lead
SOURCE: William Deagle, Facebook
Published: 06 Apr 2023
VERDICT
Pre-human changes in climate do not negate contemporary human influence on modern warming, contrary to implication in popular Instagram post
CLAIM
Climate changed naturally in prehistoric eras, modern climate change is a naturally occurring phenomenon
SOURCE: Social media user, Instagram
Published: 23 Jan 2023
VERDICT
Link between CO2 and Earth’s temperature is well-established, despite claims on Fox News
CLAIM
Scientists have found no consistent correlation between CO2 and temperature; scientists do not know whether earth will warm or cool in future
SOURCE: Tom Harris , Fox News
Published: 18 Oct 2022
VERDICT
Scientists have found that modern climate change is caused entirely by human activity, contrary to recent speculation by Joe Rogan
CLAIM
“The question is, ‘how much of an impact do we have on [climate]?’ That has not totally been quantified”; climate change is happening anyway, “The ice age happened without us…It’s probably this constant cycle”.
SOURCE: Joe Rogan, Joe Rogan Experience
Published: 11 Oct 2022
VERDICT
The Epoch Times prints a range of inaccurate and misleading claims about climate change’s impacts and causes
CLAIM
CO2 is not the cause of our current warming trend; Arctic sea ice has expanded in recent years; Polar bears’ population is growing and is not threatened by climate change; CO2 is good for plant life
SOURCE: Patrick Moore, The Epoch Times
Published: 20 Sep 2022
VERDICT
Scientific evidence indicates that modern warming is driven by CO2, contrary to Richard Lindzen’s claim
CLAIM
“Believing CO2 controls the climate is pretty close to believing in magic.”
SOURCE: Richard Lindzen, Climate Change is Crap
Published: 02 Sep 2022
VERDICT