Reaching the US’ formidable emissions discount objectives relies upon largely on the speedy adoption of wind and photo voltaic vitality and the electrification of client automobiles. Nevertheless, misinformation and coordinated disinformation about renewable vitality is widespread and threatens to undermine public help for the transition. In a brand new report, the Sabin Heart identifies and examines 33 of essentially the most pervasive false claims about photo voltaic vitality, wind vitality, and electrical automobiles, with the goal of selling a extra knowledgeable dialogue.
Many of those false claims middle on three classes of impacts generally attributed to renewable vitality growth: impacts to the atmosphere, impacts to human well being, and impacts to the financial system. For instance, our report examines the frequent misconceptions that electrical automobiles have a internet dangerous impact on local weather change (they don’t); that electromagnetic radiation from wind generators poses a risk to human well being (it doesn’t); and that photo voltaic vitality growth negatively impacts U.S. jobs (it doesn’t). A few of the misconceptions examined within the report, such because the notion that whale deaths stem from noise associated to wind farm surveys, are fully unsubstantiated. Others have some factual foundation however are generally repeated with out needed context: as an illustration, the notion that photo voltaic panels produce vital waste, with out the context that fossil gasoline vitality generates much more.
To establish the commonest false claims relating to wind, photo voltaic, and electrical automobiles, the authors of the Sabin Heart’s new report first reviewed social-media teams and web sites created to oppose renewable vitality initiatives or insurance policies, in addition to present protection about misinformation. The authors then developed clear, fact-based responses to those false claims, relying to the best extent attainable on peer reviewed tutorial literature and authorities publications. The authors designed the report in order that members of the general public can domesticate balanced and knowledgeable opinions on frequently-contested matters associated to renewable vitality and electrical automobile deployment.
The Sabin Heart’s report ought to be learn along side different truth checks and research refuting false claims about renewable vitality and electrical automobiles, resembling these printed by EPA, RMI, USA At the moment, Carbon Transient, the Heart for American Progress, the Annenberg Public Coverage Heart’s web site FactCheck.org, the Brown Local weather and Improvement Lab, and Heated.
Learn the complete report right here.