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Nikki Forrester
Science Editor
Nikki holds a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Pittsburgh where she studied plant-bacterial interactions. As a freelance science writer, she covers climate, ecology, evolution, and research news. Her work appears in Nature, Science, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and other outlets.
ARTICLE REVIEWS
Breitbart article makes numerous false claims about the impacts of climate change, based on Global Warming Policy Foundation post
in Breitbart, by James Delingpole, Dr. Indur Goklany
— 12 Feb 2021
"The article’s scientific credibility is very low. The author cherry-picks data, makes broad generalizations and characterizations based on incomplete or flimsy reasoning, and re..
Video interview of Ian Plimer at Sky News falsely claims that a new study announces an incoming ice age, partly based on an incorrect Daily Mail headline
in Sky News, by Ian Plimer
— 20 Jan 2021
"This video is chock full of false and misleading information, and presented in a way to make the correct scientific information seem like a farce. For example, the direct link bet..
Article by The Daily Caller oversimplifies drivers of wildfires and downplays role of climate change
in The Daily Caller, by Chris White
— 28 Sep 2020
"The causes of the increase in burned area in the western US in recent decades – and the record-setting fires of 2020 – are complex, driven by a mix of a changing climate, a 10..
Article by CNN exaggerates study’s implications for future Greenland ice loss with “point of no return” claim
in CNN, by Max Claypool and Brandon Miller
— 20 Aug 2020
The article in CNN discusses findings from a study published August, 2020 that analyzes trends of ice discharge from the Greenland Ice Sheet over the past three decades[1]. Reports...
Article by Michael Shellenberger mixes accurate and inaccurate claims in support of a misleading and overly simplistic argumentation about climate change
in Forbes, by Michael Shellenberger
— 06 Jul 2020
"Shellenberger’s article promoting his new book “Apocalypse Never” includes a mix of accurate, misleading, and patently false statements. While it is useful to push back agai..
Article in The Guardian misleads readers about sensitivity of climate models by narrowly focusing on single study
in The Guardian, by Jonathan Watts
— 18 Jun 2020
"The article correctly reports that the most recent versions of some climate models estimate more warming for a given increase in CO2 concentrations. It is also correct in highligh..
Video from PragerU makes several incorrect and misleading claims about climate change
in PragerU, by Richard Lindzen
— 23 May 2020
This video discussing climate change was first published on PragerU’s website in April 2016 and recently posted on Facebook in May 2020. Scientists that evaluated the video found...
Article in Business Insider accurately describes results from a study estimating up to 3 billion people could live in much warmer temperatures by 2070
in Business Insider, by Sarah Al-Arshani
— 12 May 2020
The article in Business Insider discusses findings from a study published May, 2020 that projected one to three billion people could live in much warmer climates by 2070, assuming ...
CLAIM REVIEWS
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
Scientific studies established clear links between human-caused increased in atmospheric CO2 and global warming
CLAIM
“It’s a good thing that we are putting some more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The scientific method has not been applied in such a way as to prove that carbon dioxide is causing the Earth to warm.”
SOURCE: Patrick Moore, Instagram
Published: 18 Dec 2020
VERDICT
The clothing industry produces 3 to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, as accurately claimed in Patagonia post
CLAIM
“The clothing industry contributes up to 10% of the pollution driving the climate crisis.”
SOURCE: Patagonia, Instagram
Published: 06 Dec 2020
VERDICT
The Earth is a sphere that rotates on its axis and revolves around the Sun, contrary to Flat Earth video
CLAIM
“The Earth is not a globe. The Earth is stationary.”
SOURCE: Amber Plaster, Flat Earth
Published: 27 Nov 2020
VERDICT
Brush rake attachments are primarily used to pile up heavy forest debris as part of active thinning, harvesting, and removal projects
CLAIM
“this is [...] a brush rake. It's used for clearing underbrush and debris from the forest floor that builds up and creates fuel for wild fires. Now you can stop looking stupid trying to make fun of Trump telling California to rake the forest.”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 04 Nov 2020
VERDICT
Sea ice loss due to climate change is the biggest threat to polar bear survival and has already led to declines in some polar bear subpopulations, contrary to “Climate Realism” video message
CLAIM
“In 1950, there were around 10,000 polar bears globally. Today, polar bear populations are near 39,000. Polar bear populations are increasing dramatically as the planet has warmed.”
SOURCE: Andy Singer, Climate Realism, Heartland Institute
Published: 29 Oct 2020
VERDICT
Climate change can make it harder for the Amazon rainforest to grow back from deforestation, but that does not mean 40% of it will now turn into a savanna
CLAIM
“Amazon near tipping point of switching from rainforest to savannah”
SOURCE: Fiona Harvey, The Guardian
Published: 14 Oct 2020
VERDICT
INSIGHTS
The potentials and limitations of tree plantings as a climate solution
— 11 Jun 2020
the international conversation on tree plantings as a solution to reducing CO2 emissions in the atmosphere and mitigating the rise in global surface temperature is mixed, with judg...