In recent interviews, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt made two false claims about his agency’s record on removing toxic sites from the Superfund National Priorities List.
Pruitt’s Tall Tale on Toxic Cleanups
SciCheck
FactCheck.org’s SciCheck feature focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy. It was launched in January 2015 with a grant from the Stanton Foundation. The foundation was founded by the late Frank Stanton, president of CBS for 25 years, from 1946 to 1971.
SciCheck Featured on Undark’s Podcast
SciCheck writer Vanessa Schipani recently appeared on Undark magazine’s podcast to discuss her recent article on the effect of media violence on children.
Q&A: The Death Penalty for Drug Trafficking?
The Trump administration’s initiative to combat the opioid epidemic aims to reduce drug demand, curtail illicit drug supply and expand addiction treatment. But the aspect that garnered headlines was President Trump’s repeated emphasis on seeking the death penalty for drug traffickers. We answer several key questions on the topic.
Smith’s Error-Filled Climate Op-Ed
In an op-ed for Fox News, Rep. Lamar Smith, the chairman of the House science committee, made a host of false and misleading claims about climate change and related issues.
Wind Energy’s Carbon Footprint
In observing that “every type of energy has consequences,” Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke claimed the “carbon footprint on wind [energy] is significant.” In fact, wind power’s carbon footprint is among the smallest of any energy source.
The Facts on Media Violence
In the wake of the Florida school shooting, politicians have raised concern over the influence of violent video games and films on young people. Scientists still debate the issue, but the majority of studies show that extensive exposure media violence is a risk factor for aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
Will Global Warming Benefit Civilization?
Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt suggests that global warming isn’t necessarily “a bad thing” because “humans have most flourished during times of … warming.” But recent years have been the warmest humans have seen over at least the last millennium.
Ice Caps at Record Low, Not High
In a recent interview with the British station ITV, President Donald Trump falsely implied the globe’s ice caps are at “record” high levels. But ice caps generally have been declining worldwide.
Cold Facts on the Globe’s Hottest Years
Sen. James Inhofe misleadingly claimed that the statistics behind the globe’s likely hottest years on record — 2014, 2015 and 2016 — were “meaningless” because the temperature increases were “well within the margin of error.” Taking into account the margins of error, there’s still a long-term warming trend.
FactChecking Science Claims in 2017
In our roundup of 2016 claims, we hypothesized that SciCheck would have no dearth of false and misleading claims to cover in 2017. That proved true. Politicians kept us busy. As 2017 comes to a close, we present the most notable claims about science from this year.