Hailstorm in Saudi Arabian desert mistaken for snow, sparking misleading climate claims online
In early November, several photos were shared via social media and news outlets showing what was allegedly the ‘first-ever snowfall…
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Climate vs. weather: a deep dive on the key differences
A key difference is their timescales by which they’re defined: weather is monitored over days to weeks, and climate typically over decades or more. Online claims that use anecdotal evidence to claim that these climate changes are ‘normal’ either in the context of ‘when they grew up’ or as part of the ‘natural cycle’ are inaccurate.
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Environmental impacts of the fossil fuel industry outweigh those of EV metal mining, experts say
Nearly one in five new vehicles sold around the world in 2023 was an electric vehicle (EV), up from around…
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Humans do not have the technology to manipulate hurricanes
Hurricanes are extraordinarily powerful storms. Our current weather modification methods, which usually involve cloud seeding, cannot create or redirect hurricanes.
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Anti-vaccine claims about the Alexis Lorenze case mislead on vaccine risks
This report highlights the questionable rapidity with which Lorenze’s illness was attributed to vaccines by anti-vaccine activists. As a fuller examination of the available evidence shows, it is challenging to reliably establish vaccines as the sole cause of her condition.
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In most cases, electrifying cars reduces their emissions
Today, road transport is responsible for 15% of the world’s total CO2 emissions. If we replace fossil-fuel-powered combustion vehicles with…
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Climate change and its impacts on the water cycle; how can it increase both droughts and heavy downpours?
If your tap ran dry and stores closed down, where would you get your freshwater? Water is essential to human…
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From vibrant corals to white skeletons: climate change and looming existential threats to coral reefs
Coral reefs and their ecosystems serve important roles on Earth – they flourish with biodiversity, providing habitat to 25% of…
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Sea-level rise: to mitigate or adapt? Experts say we need to do both.
Roughly 900 million people lived in low-lying coastal cities and settlements in 2020; a figure that is projected to reach 1 billion by 2050. Is there anything we can do now to reduce sea-level rise and its impacts? Our past actions will already impact sea-levels for thousands of years. But not everything is set in stone. We possess the power to reduce sea-level rise and its impacts over the next century and beyond with our current actions. Some advocate to mitigate the causes, and others to adapt to the consequences. But what do experts say?
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How fears of parasites drive viral claims for detoxes and cleanses
Removing parasites from the body is a recurring theme in health misinformation on social media. These posts misleadingly suggest that…
