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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
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
Climate change, forest management and several other causes contribute to wildfire severity and total area burned in the western United States
CLAIM
“Forest fires are caused by poor management. Not by climate change.”
SOURCE: Anonymous, Facebook
Published: 16 Sep 2020
VERDICT
Planting trees can help mitigate some aspects of climate change, but it cannot solve all environmental crises
CLAIM
“Trees provide a solution to almost all environmental crises we're facing. Trees reverse climate change by cleaning carbon from the air.”
SOURCE: Pamela Anderson, 8 Billion Trees
Published: 25 Aug 2020
VERDICT
The long-term survival of polar bears is threatened by loss of sea-ice due to global warming, new study confirms
CLAIM
"Global warming is driving polar bears toward extinction"
SOURCE: Henry Fountain, The New York Times
Published: 27 Jul 2020
VERDICT
Greenhouse gases cause global warming by trapping infra-red radiations, not by “causing more holes in the ozone layer”
CLAIM
Greenhouse gases emitted into the ocean are causing more holes in the ozone layer … “the ozone layer has holes in it causing global temperature to rise”
SOURCE: Otis Holland, Instagram
Published: 21 Jul 2020
VERDICT
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
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...