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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.

The Science Feedback team

ARTICLE REVIEWS

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

Climate scientists agree that human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are primarily responsible for climate change, contrary to claims in Clear Energy Alliance video
CLAIM
The scientific consensus on whether global warming is human caused is not 97 percent, it’s less than 1 percent. There is no way to measure the human impact on climate change.

SOURCE: Mark Mathis, Clear Energy Alliance

Published: 25 Jun 2020

VERDICT

Low solar activity has little effect on Earth’s climate, contrary to claim in The Sun
CLAIM
"The sun has gone into ‘lockdown’ which could cause freezing weather, earthquakes and famine, say scientists"

SOURCE: Chris Pollard, The Sun

Published: 20 May 2020

VERDICT

The global polar bear population is threatened by loss of sea ice, contrary to PragerU’s video claim
CLAIM
The polar bear population has been growing. Polar bears are thriving even where sea ice is diminishing.

SOURCE: Anonymous, PragerU

Published: 18 May 2020

VERDICT

Diesel cars are a major source of NO2 emissions in European cities, contrary to online claim
CLAIM
The drop in NO2 content has only been “slight”. So it cannot be the evil diesel engine cars that are “choking” our cities.

SOURCE: Holger Douglas, Tichys Einblick

Published: 02 May 2020

VERDICT

Claim that CO2 is cooling the planet is misleading, anthropogenic CO2 emissions overall cause global warming
CLAIM
Global warming slowing down? 'Ironic' study finds more CO2 has slightly cooled the planet

SOURCE: Sebastian Kettley, Express

Published: 24 Apr 2020

VERDICT

Human activities have dramatically increased atmospheric CO2 levels, causing imbalances in the global carbon cycle
CLAIM
Human additions of CO2 are in the margin of error of current measurements and the gradual increase in CO2 is mainly from oceans degassing as the planet slowly emerges from the last ice age.

SOURCE: Cole Ryan, I Love Carbon Dioxide

Published: 20 Apr 2020

VERDICT

Human-induced increases in greenhouse gases are the primary driver of global warming, contrary to claims in CFACT article
CLAIM
They tell us that we are the primary forces controlling earth temperatures by the burning of fossil fuels and releasing their carbon dioxide. I hope my readers can recognize the absurdity of their claims. … increasing sunspots are linked to increases in earth temperature

SOURCE: Jay Lehr, CFACT

Published: 15 Apr 2020

VERDICT

Scientists observe most widespread bleaching event ever recorded at The Great Barrier Reef
CLAIM
The Great Barrier Reef is experiencing the most widespread bleaching ever recorded

SOURCE: Michael Slezak and Penny Timms, ABC News

Published: 11 Apr 2020

VERDICT

The Antarctic ozone layer is recovering, but The Independent claim fails to grasp significance of study it relies on
CLAIM
The ozone layer is healing

SOURCE: Louise Boyle, The Independent

Published: 07 Apr 2020

VERDICT

Deforestation can facilitate the emergence and spread of some infectious diseases
CLAIM
Deforestation has made humans more vulnerable to pandemics

SOURCE: Lani Chan and Tom McKenna, Now This

Published: 01 Apr 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...