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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

High Winds, Drought Conditions Led to Maui Fires, No Evidence Intentionally Set

High Winds, Drought Conditions Led to Maui Fires, No Evidence Intentionally Set

It’s not known what sparked the wildfires in Maui, although some evidence points to downed power lines. The conditions were ripe for fire, as large amounts of invasive grasses were dry due to drought and high winds helped to rapidly spread flames. Bogus posts on social media, however, are baselessly claiming the fires were intentionally set.

Posts Misrepresent Military’s Response to Maui Wildfires

Posts Misrepresent Military’s Response to Maui Wildfires

The White House declared the site of the Maui wildfires a disaster area, and the Department of Defense has provided more than 400 troops, air support and other resources in firefighting and recovery efforts. Yet posts on Instagram misrepresent the federal response and one falsely claimed “the military is standing down.”

Posts Share Fabricated Quote on ‘Permanent Climate Lockdowns’

Posts Share Fabricated Quote on ‘Permanent Climate Lockdowns’

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Economic Forum proposed an initiative to reform economic and social systems, called the “Great Reset.” But a 2020 video of WEF’s Nicole Schwab discussing this initiative never showed her saying that “permanent climate lockdowns” were coming, contrary to claims in a widely shared article.

Viral Posts Distort Greta Thunberg Tweet Warning About Climate Change

Viral Posts Distort Greta Thunberg Tweet Warning About Climate Change

A Harvard University professor warned in 2018 that steps were needed over the next five years to reduce carbon pollution to preserve Arctic ice. Climate activist Greta Thunberg then shared a tweet that misquoted the professor. But recent social media posts have distorted Thunberg’s tweet to falsely claim she predicted human extinction by 2023.

Viral Video Makes False Claim About Global Oil Supply

Viral Video Makes False Claim About Global Oil Supply

Oil is formed in a process that takes millions of years, and there is a finite amount on the planet, scientists say. But a TikTok video shared on Instagram falsely claims that there is an “unlimited” supply of oil, and people are being “taught” otherwise to keep them “in a fear state.”

Warming Beyond 1.5 C Harmful, But Not a Point of No Return, as Biden Claims 

Warming Beyond 1.5 C Harmful, But Not a Point of No Return, as Biden Claims 

It’s increasingly likely that the planet will reach 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, of warming, probably within the next two decades. But while that level of warming comes with a variety of dangerous effects, it’s not a point of no return, scientists say, and it doesn’t mean “we’re done,” as President Joe Biden has claimed. 

Viral Tweet Misrepresents NOAA Report on Rising Global Temperature

Viral Tweet Misrepresents NOAA Report on Rising Global Temperature

The warming trend in global temperature continued in 2022, which was the sixth-warmest year on record, according to a recent report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But a viral tweet — using just a small segment of a NOAA graph — wrongly claimed the agency had announced a “global cooling” trend.