Climate

Was the deadly wildfire that began the evening of August 8, 2023, on the Hawaiian island of Maui caused by a "direct energy weapon assault"? No, that's not true: There's no evidence to support that assertion. Instead, natural factors, not a direct energy weapon, are the likely cause of the wildfires. The claim appeared in a post and video on…

Did a weather station in Germany show a map of the country's high temperatures with the map actually on fire with flames burning on TV? No, that's not true: The image showing flames over a weather map is doctored. The original footage from the weather station broadcast in Germany does not show flames on the map nor does it have…

Do potential methane emissions expelled by wild bison populations compare with levels expelled by domestic cows in the U.S. and beyond? No, that's not true: Global populations of bison total less than half a million compared with 1.5 billion cows. An expert in biological systems engineering and agriculture told Lead Stories that the claim's comparison is arbitrary as it does…

Did Nicole Schwab -- daughter of World Economic Forum (WEF) founder Klaus Schwab -- say, "permanent climate lockdowns [are] coming -- whether you like it or not"? No, that's not true: There is no record of Nicole Schwab having said that. An article that falsely reported the quote in July 2023 self-debunks by including a link to an authentic video…

Did Pope Francis, acting on behalf of the World Economics Forum, publicly support euthanasia for "alcoholics, autistic and disabled people" to "help humanity" fight climate change? No, that's not true: The pontiff never said that. Following the Roman Catholic Church's long-established policy, he has condemned euthanasia more than once in his public speeches. Pope Francis does not work for the…

Did Vice President Kamala Harris give a speech to say reducing population is a goal of the climate change movement? No, that's not true: While she did say the words "reduce population," a While House official confirmed to Lead Stories that the intended word was "pollution," and a correction made in the White House transcript reflects that. In her speech…

Did Teresa Ribera, third vice president of Spain and Spain's minister for ecological transition and demographic challenge, fly on a private jet to attend a climate summit? No, that's not true: No aircraft used by Spanish dignitaries landed before Ribera was shown as being in Valladolid, Spain, the city where the summit was held. The claim appeared in a post…

Is there no scientific consensus that climate change is happening? No, that's not true: A scientific survey of more than 88,000 climate-related studies found that more than 99 percent of research agrees that climate change is real and primarily caused by human activities. Furthermore, a majority of credible scientific institutions and researchers in the U.S. and beyond unequivocally and publicly…

Did the World Economic Forum announce in early July 2023 that it will ban fashion, making people exclusively wear uniforms by 2030? No, that's not true: The claim came into being as an exaggerated extrapolation of a 2019 report that wasn't even produced by the World Economic Forum as an organization. The story appeared in an article published by The…

Did a self-proclaimed arborist plant a giant sequoia tree in their mayor's front yard along with 127 giant sequoias and giant redwoods throughout the Redondo Beach, California, area in response to the city removing a 30-year-old pepper tree? No, that's not true: The mayor mentioned in this Facebook post has written this claim off as a "practical joke." The deputy…