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PeakMetrics / Fact Checks

Climate & environment fact checks

Explore claims publishers have checked about climate & environment. Read their original ratings and follow the evidence.

1,358 published reviews in this topic

dpaClimate & environment

Die Fotos von der Freiheitsstatue beweisen, dass der Meeresspiegel nicht ansteigt.

Publisher’s rating: Die Bilder sind nicht geeignet, den Anstieg des Meeresspiegels abzuschätzen. Dieser befindet sich pro Jahr im Millimeterbereich, die täglichen Schwankungen durch die Gezeiten sind viel größer. Wissenschaftliche Messdaten beweisen jedoch den Anstieg, der in den vergangenen Jahren drastisch zugenommen hat.

The claim concerns two images of the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island, shared as though their comparison showed that sea level had not risen. The review says the pictures were presented as having been taken more than 100 years apart, and that the older image really is over a century old. It also notes that the comparison shows no obvious change in sea level. But an apparent lack of change between two photographs does not establish that sea level stayed constant: the review explains that these images are not a suitable way to estimate such a gradual change. The key scale problem is that sea level rises by millimetres per year, while tides cause much larger short-term fluctuations. The review reports that tidal differences of 1.5 to 1.9 metres are usual near New York, with occasional readings above 2 metres. A millimetre-scale trend therefore cannot reliably be judged by looking at two images, especially when the review says sea level varies even within a day. The photographs’ failure to show a visible difference is not evidence that the longer-term rise did not occur. The review points instead to measurements designed to track that change. It describes comparisons of recorded water levels and satellite observations, and reports that research found a rise of about 3 millimetres per year since the 20th century in the New York region. It also cites NOAA records indicating a continuing rise since the late 19th century, with the rate increasing from 1.4 to 3.6 millimetres per year since the beginning of the 20th century. Thus, the photographs do not establish the claim; the review’s cited measurement records indicate a rise that is too small to assess from this visual comparison.

Fact CrescendoClimate & environment

រូបថត​វិនាសកម្ម​ព្រៃឈើ​នៅកម្ពុជា

Publisher’s rating: Misleading

The review investigated a photo circulated on Facebook with captions implying that it showed deforestation in Cambodia. It reports that one post, captured on May 12, 2023, used the caption “Love what Khmer has,” and that the same photo appeared in other Khmer-language Facebook posts. The check focused on identifying the image’s actual origin, rather than determining that no deforestation had occurred in Cambodia. Fact Crescendo says it ran a Google reverse-image search. The search led it to the same photo in a Clean Malaysia article published in 2016, whose caption identified the scene as illegal deforestation in Sarawak, Malaysia. The review also found the image on National Geographic’s website in an article published in 2015; that caption described natural rainforest in Sarawak being illegally cleared for palm plantations. Based on those image matches and captions, the review concluded that the photo did not depict deforestation in Cambodia. It places the depicted forest destruction in Sarawak, Malaysia, in 2015. The article also reports, citing Global Forest Watch, that Sarawak had 9.57 million hectares of rainforest in 2010 and that 56.7 square kilometers had been cleared by 2021. Those figures provide regional context; the image’s identification rests on the matching earlier publications and their captions.

dpaClimate & environment

De hoogste gemeten temperatuur in Alberta, Canada is 13 graden. (De media houdt ons dus voor de gek door te zeggen dat bosbranden daar door droogte en hitte komen.)

Publisher’s rating: De beweringen op sociale media kloppen niet. In de eerste week van mei was de hoogste gemeten temperatuur in Alberta 32,5 graden, in de gemeente Fort McMurray. Dit uitzonderlijk warme weer voor de lente strekt zich over de hele provincie uit. Er was bovendien dit voorjaar droogte in Alberta. Dit zorgde in combinatie met de hoge temperatuur en veel wind voor hevige bosbranden.

dpaClimate & environment

Deze foto toont de laatste levende reus in Nederland.

Publisher’s rating: De reus is een AI-beeld gemaakt met Midjourney, en geen lang verloren historisch artefact.

The claim concerns a purported old photograph said to show the last living giant in the Netherlands. The review describes a black-and-white image of a procession with a very tall man at its center, captioned “de laatste Neanderthalreus” (“the last Neanderthal giant”) and said to date from 1901. It reports that a reverse-image search found the image was not an authentic historical photograph: the image appears on Midjourney’s official subreddit and was also shared by a Russian Midjourney Telegram channel. The review therefore identifies the claimed photograph as an AI-generated image made with Midjourney, rather than evidence of a historical giant. The review also distinguishes two other images associated with the claim. It says the image of a gigantic horse is another Midjourney AI image. By contrast, a separate photograph of a very tall man is genuine and depicts Robert Wadlow, an American who measured 2.72 metres and holds the Guinness record for the tallest person who ever lived. That separate authentic photograph does not establish that the central figure in the purported 1901 procession image was real.

dpaClimate & environment

Le CO2 ne représente que 0,04% de l'atmosphère et on nous pousse au tout électrique et à devoir payer pour nos émissions de carbone.

Publisher’s rating: Le chiffre de 0,04% correspond à la concentration actuelle de CO2 dans l'atmosphère, qui est de 420 ppm (parties par million de volume d'air). Il est correct. Mais laisser penser que l'impact du CO2 est minime en raison de sa faible teneur dans l'atmosphère est faux. Même en faible proportion, le CO2 a des conséquences énormes sur le climat.

The review addresses viral social-media posts that cite 0.04% CO2 to challenge climate action. It notes that posts used the figure to object to a move toward all-electric policies and to criticize adoption of the European Parliament’s carbon-market reform. The review’s distinction is that the percentage is a valid measure of CO2’s atmospheric concentration, but does not show that CO2’s climate influence is negligible. [S1: “Depuis mi-avril, des publications sur les réseaux sociaux brandissent le chiffre de 0,04% pour discréditer certaines politiques de lutte contre le réchauffement climatique.”; “« Encore une magnifique manipulation mondiale pour faire passer au tout électrique », s'insurge l'un d'eux, à l'appui de ce chiffre.”; “fustigeant l'adoption par le Parlement européen de la réforme du marché carbone.”] The article explains the measurement as 420 parts per million: in a million air particles, 420 are CO2 molecules. It quotes climatologists who say that, despite the small proportion, CO2 traps heat and contributes to climate regulation. The relevant issue, they explain, is the increase in atmospheric CO2, not simply the small percentage expressed as a fraction of the atmosphere. [S1: “cela signifie que pour chaque million de particules d'air présentes dans l'atmosphère, 420 d'entre elles sont des molécules de CO2 (420/1000000 = 0,042/100 = 0,042%). « Cela semble peu, mais cette proportion est loin d'être anodine », complète le glaciologue et professeur en climatologie à l'Université libre de Bruxelles, Frank Pattyn.”; “Car même s'il n'est présent qu'en faible quantité dans l'atmosphère, le CO2 joue un rôle majeur dans la régulation du climat, en piégeant la chaleur.”] For historical context, the review reports that CO2 rose from 280 ppm around the Industrial Revolution to 420 ppm, after having been stable for roughly 10,000 years. It cites NOAA for the comparison with pre-industrial levels and quotes a climate scientist connecting the rise with warming already observed. This supports the review’s central qualification: the percentage alone omits both the change over time and CO2’s role in the climate system. [S1: “Depuis la Révolution industrielle (vers 1850), sa teneur dans l'atmosphère a significativement augmenté, passant de 280 à 420 ppm, alors que son niveau était stable depuis environ 10.000 ans”; “Désormais, la concentration de CO2 dans l'atmosphère est 50% plus élevée qu'avant l'ère industrielle, selon l’Agence américaine d’observation océanique et atmosphérique (NOAA). « Cette augmentation a déjà donné lieu à un réchauffement d'un peu plus de 1°C », poursuit Frank Pattyn.”]

dpaClimate & environment

De Nederlandse media liegen, het is helemaal niet zo heet in Spanje

Publisher’s rating: De berichten met het screenshot zijn misleidend. Deze werd gemaakt om half 10 's ochtends, terwijl temperaturen doorgaans 's middags hun piek bereiken. Temperaturen verschillen bovendien per locatie, zeker in een land met gebergtes en kust. Op verschillende plekken in Spanje kwam de temperatuur eind april wel degelijk boven de 35 graden uit en was het meerdere dagen zeer warm voor de tijd van het jaar.

The review examines social-media posts alleging that Dutch media lied about extreme heat in Spain. Their evidence was a screenshot of temperatures in several Spanish cities, including Málaga, Sevilla and Alicante. The screenshot showed 23°C in Málaga, but it was taken at 9:30 a.m. on April 30, not during the usual afternoon peak. It therefore could not establish that Spain had not experienced extreme heat. The review compared that screenshot with the reporting it was used to challenge. RTL Nieuws’s April 28 headline referred to 42 degrees “in the sun” in southern Spain. The article explained that this reading came from a thermometer on an advertising panel on April 27; it was not an official measurement, and the panel stood in direct sun. The review says RTL did not claim that the temperature applied to all of Spain or was an official measurement. The review also cites heat records and measurements from the relevant period. It reports that 60 heat records were broken across 29 provinces during the week of April 24–30, and that Córdoba recorded 38.8°C at 3 p.m. on April 27, an April record for mainland Spain. It notes that Málaga and Sevilla also experienced heat, though conditions and peak temperatures differed between them. The screenshot was not necessarily inaccurate: the review says the April 30 forecast for the Costa Blanca, where the person who shared it said he lived, was consistent with the screenshot’s temperatures. But one morning’s readings in particular locations did not represent conditions across Spain or the hotter days and afternoon peaks. The review concludes that reports of extreme heat were not lies, while noting that the headline’s use of the sun-exposed 42°C reading could be debated as clickbait.

dpaClimate & environment

Der April 2023 ist der kälteste seit über 90 Jahren.

Publisher’s rating: Nein. Der April 2023 ist zwar deutlich kühler als der Durchschnitt der vergangenen 30 Jahre, der April 2021 etwa war aber im Mittel noch kälter. Eine Widerlegung des Klimawandels lässt sich daraus nicht ableiten.

The claim concerned Germany’s average temperature in April 2023, not whether the month felt cold. The review reports a German Weather Service (DWD) forecast of about 7.5°C for the month. That would be slightly above the 1961–1990 April average of 7.4°C, so the review concludes April 2023 could not be the coldest April in 92 years. It was, however, substantially cooler than the 1991–2020 average of 9.0°C. The review also compared April 2023 with recent individual years: the DWD climatologist described April 2021 as markedly cold, with an average of 6°C—below the 1961–1990 average and expected to be colder than April 2023. The review therefore distinguishes a chilly month from a record-breaking one. For a longer historical check, the review cites a DWD historical temperature series: April 1931 averaged 5.8°C, while the three coldest Aprils since regular records began in 1881 were 1917 (4.3°C), 1929 (4.5°C), and 1903 (4.7°C). The claim of a 92-year record does not fit those figures. The review further notes that a single cold month does not establish that climate change is absent: it reports a 1.6°C rise in Germany’s annual-average air temperature from 1881 to 2021, with the five warmest years in that record all occurring after 2000.

APA - Austria Presse AgenturClimate & environment

Deutsche TV-Wetterkarten sollen angeblich im Sommer rötlicher gefärbt sein und somit Panik um die Klimakrise medial verstärken

Publisher’s rating: Die deutschen öffentlich-rechtlichen Fernsehanstalten haben ihr Design für Wetterkarten im Jahr 2020 vereinheitlicht. Zuvor wurden Karten neben Temperaturwerten auch nach topographischen Kriterien eingefärbt. Dunkle Rottöne waren auch schon vor Jahren auf den Karten zu sehen.

The review investigates a claim that German television weather maps have been colored in increasingly dramatic shades of red, especially in summer, as a way of amplifying public fear about the climate crisis. It compares ARD weather broadcasts from 21 June 2017 and 20 June 2022, noting that the dates and map formats matter: the earlier broadcast used a green-backed satellite map resembling a topographic display, while the later one used a temperature map. The 2022 screenshot was therefore not from the following day, as the post claimed. [S1: “Der obere Screenshot zeigt die Wetterprognose aus den ARD-„Tagesthemen“ vom 21. Juni 2017 (3). Der Screenshot darunter stammt aus dem Jahr 2022, zeigt aber die Sendung vom 20. Juni (4) und nicht, wie im Posting behauptet wird, vom darauffolgenden Tag.”] The review explains that the different appearance reflects a change in map design, not by itself evidence of a campaign to create climate alarm. In 2020, German public broadcasters consolidated their weather operations and standardized their map material. Silke Hansen, head of the Hessischer Rundfunk weather desk, said the “tagesthemen” adopted a new design aligned with the “tagesschau.” The review also points to a “tagesschau” forecast from 21 June 2017 in which parts of Germany were already shown in dark red. [S1: “2020 entschlossen sich die deutschen öffentlich-rechtlichen TV-Anstalten, ihre Wetterredaktionen zu bündeln (6). Damit einher ging eine Vereinheitlichung des verwendeten Kartenmaterials.”; “Tatsächlich werden in der „Tagesschau“ laut Hansen bereits seit 30 Jahren Temperaturkarten verwendet. Ein Blick in die Ausgabe vom 21. Juni 2017 zeigt, dass schon damals ganz Deutschland in teils dunkle Rottöne getaucht war (8).”] The account gives further context for seasonal coloring: it reports that ORF uses different color scales for spring/autumn, summer and winter, defined relative to long-term averages for each season, so temperature differences are easier to see. It also reports an explanation from Austrian meteorological authorities that greater map detail may contribute to the impression of darker maps, while increasing temperatures provide a more direct reason for more frequent dark-red coloring. Those points address color choices and observed temperatures; they do not establish that broadcasters deliberately colored maps to promote climate propaganda. [S1: “Laut Wadsak definieren sich diese Farbspektren als Abweichung von den langjährigen Mittelwerten zur jeweiligen Jahreszeit. Ohne diesen Wechsel zwischen den Jahreszeiten wären Temperaturunterschiede schwieriger zu erkennen.”; “Wostal schloss aus, dass Temperaturkarten heute absichtlich dunkler eingefärbt würden, um „irgendeine Klimawandel-Propaganda“ zu unterstützen. Dass sie immer häufiger Richtung dunkelrot tendieren, hat viel eher einen banalen Grund: Die tatsächlich steigenden Temperaturen (10, 11).”]

APA - Austria Presse AgenturClimate & environment

Ehemaliger BZÖ Politiker Gerald Grosz behauptet in Video, dass Medien und Klimaschützer nur Panikmache betreiben würden und verwendet als Argument, dass es im April bei Dauerregen nur neun Grad hatte

Publisher’s rating: Das nasskalte Wetter im April ist kein Hinweis darauf, dass die Klimakrise nicht existiert oder dass sie doch nicht so gravierende Folgen hat, wie von Wissenschafterinnen und Wissenschaftern angenommen.

The APA review concerns a viral Facebook video by former BZÖ politician Gerald Grosz. It reports that he argued media and climate advocates were creating panic about global warming while, in April, there had been continuous rain and only nine degrees. The review notes that commenters used the video to make broader claims about climate change, but those comments are not evidence that Grosz himself denied climate change. In his response to APA, Grosz said his video criticized, sometimes satirically, what he called media hysteria; he said he was not denying climate change itself. [S1] To assess the weather argument, the review reports information from Geosphere Austria and the Austrian agriculture ministry, as well as comments from BOKU hydrology researcher Helmut Habersack. Geosphere Austria’s figures show that April precipitation was around the long-term average across most of Austria, with some regions above and others below it. The ministry said that rainfall had not made up groundwater deficits, particularly in the east; Habersack described the improvement as short-term and said more rain was needed to replenish groundwater stores. The review therefore treats a cool, wet spell as a local weather episode, not a measure of the longer-term climate trend. [S1] The review also sets the April conditions against temperature records: Austria’s October 2022–March 2023 winter half-year was 1.7°C above the 1991–2020 average and the second warmest in 256 years of measurements, while the global March 2023 was the second warmest on record. It says Austria’s temperature rise since 1900 was about twice the global average. These records are the review’s evidence that a cold or rainy period does not contradict a broader rise in temperatures. The article also discusses other points raised in Grosz’s video, including the Neusiedlersee and melting ice, but those are separate arguments from the April-weather claim. [S1]