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Fact Checking Claim About Corrupted Climate Change Data Politifact

Bonisiwe Shabane
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fact checking claim about corrupted climate change data politifact

A temperature marquee sign at a Citizens National Bank building reads 104 degrees on Aug. 2, 2022 in Emporia, Kansas. (AP/MediaPunch) Global temperatures are rising, and there is ample evidence to support that fact. But that hasn’t stopped some people from claiming they’ve found proof that climate change concerns are overblown. An article circulating on Facebook claims that U.S.

agencies’ use of flawed data exaggerates the severity of climate change. "96% of U.S. climate data is corrupted," reads the headline of one July 27 blog post from the Heartland Institute, a conservative think tank. "Official NOAA temperature stations produce corrupted data due to purposeful placement in man-made hot spots," the blog post said, referring to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data. A digital billboard displays an unofficial temperature, July 17, 2023, in Phoenix. Cities across the United States and around the world are grappling with ways to protect people from extreme heat as global temperatures rise each year.

(AP) Fox News host Jesse Watters recycled a claim climate change deniers have been making for years. "Hottest year on record, huh?" Watters asked Jan. 31 on "Jesse Watters Primetime," his skepticism apparent. He expressed doubts about the longevity and accuracy of global temperature records, then criticized the legitimacy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s temperature data collection. NOAA, the federal agency that studies weather, oceans and the climate, is "putting the thermometers in the cities … on concrete and asphalt," Watters said.

"You ever been to the city in the summer?" he asked. "You ever walk around in your bare feet on a city sidewalk in August? It’s hot. That’s where we’re putting the thermometers to measure the world’s temperature. On little heat islands." People across the political spectrum are critical of the influence Facebook wields over the flow of information.

Now, a blog that’s skeptical of humans’ impact on the climate says Facebook is putting a spin on the facts it puts in front of users. The blog, Watts Up With That, said in a recent post that "Facebook is spamming all climate articles by misleading readers about temperature measurements." This complaint is aimed at Facebook’s practice of placing a link to its Climate Science Center information page on posts that may deal with climate change. Here’s how the link shows up: The page is a collection of facts, charts and articles related to climate change science, along with links to sources of scientific information. "These facts from climate researchers correct common misconceptions about global warming and its impact," it says.

It covers a number of points, among them, the use of climate change models that scientists use to project changes in temperature and analyze other patterns. The Jan. 31 post on Watts Up With That takes issue with Facebook’s assertion that these models are reliable. It argues that Facebook leaves out information that would show you can’t really count on the models. A July 26 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) claims a study proves climate change data is unreliable. "Breaking: 96% of 'climate change' data is corrupted: Heartland Institute study," reads the on-screen text.

The post garnered more than 500 likes in nine days. Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks The 96% claim drastically overstates the scope of a study that examined one type of data collected by one agency, then only analyzed a fraction of that data in two groups 13 years apart. No other types of climate data collection methods or environmental organizations were discussed in the study. "96% of U.S Climate Data Is Corrupted, Study Shows," says a July 23, 2023 headline from Slay News, a website that AFP has previously fact-checked for spreading misinformation.

The article says: "Much of the panic-inducing claims of a 'climate emergency' we hear from in the media, often supported with scary red and fire orange-colored weather maps, are mostly based on corrupted data." Similar claims spread online -- including in German -- as summer 2023 saw high temperatures globally. NASA announced in mid-August that July was the hottest month since records began in 1880 (archived here). The Slay News story cites a 2022 report (archived here) from the Heartland Institute, a US nonprofit that promotes "free-market solutions to social and economic problems." AFP has previously fact-checked the group's climate claims. "This report finds approximately 96 percent of US temperature stations fail to meet what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) considers to be 'acceptable,' uncorrupted placement," says the study, which has not been... "These findings strongly undermine the legitimacy and the magnitude of the official consensus on long-term climate warming trends."

Multiple social media posts continue to downplay or, in some cases, outright deny the existence of climate change despite overwhelming evidence supporting the scientific consensus it exists and is fueled by human activity. One Facebook post shared Jan. 25 went as far as calling the concept a "fraud." Nick Adams, a conservative pundit, shared a post featuring a photo of himself with text superimposed on the image assailing climate change. "Global warming is the most significant fraud perpetrated on humanity this century," Adams said in the text. Adams included a caption with the photo that dismisses technology meant to combat climate change, saying, "no more windmills, no more solar panels and no more electric cars."

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