{
  "schema_version": "1.1",
  "series": "Propaganda Buster",
  "publisher": "Affect Climate Change",
  "section": {
    "title": "Propaganda Buster",
    "subtitle": "Debunking bogus climate claims in the media with peer-reviewed science and primary sources.",
    "canonical_path": "/buster/",
    "methodology_path": "/buster/methodology/",
    "short_path": "/buster/",
    "description": "A permanent, source-first ACC fact-checking archive. The website holds the detailed record; social posts are concise invitations to examine it."
  },
  "issue_id": "011",
  "issue_title": "Public money. Climate claims.",
  "issue_summary": "Four checks examine Amazon’s public-support claim, a solar-farm expiration headline, China’s wind generation, and the Sun as an explanation of recent global warming.",
  "cover": {
    "presentation_mode": "social-slide",
    "public_asset_included": true,
    "title": "Public money. Climate claims.",
    "description": "Issue 011. Original edition 2026-10-08; website added 2026-10-11.",
    "rights_note": "ACC-authored artwork and layout. Bounded native claim excerpts identify and critique the public claims with attribution and links; no source endorsement is implied."
  },
  "status": "published",
  "robots": "index,follow,max-image-preview:large,max-snippet:-1",
  "planned_publication_on": "2026-10-11",
  "edition_date": "2026-10-08",
  "reviewed_on": "2026-10-08",
  "updated_on": "2026-10-11",
  "published_on": "2026-10-11",
  "corrected_on": null,
  "issue_path": "/buster/011/",
  "short_issue_path": "/buster/011",
  "source_ledger_path": "/assets/data/propaganda-buster/source-ledger-011.csv",
  "social_cta": "Full evidence: www.affectclimatechange.com/buster/011",
  "schedule_note": "Website addition authorized October 11, 2026. This record does not establish social posting.",
  "editorial_rule": "The website record is authoritative. Original-claim provenance appears before evidence; evidence and limitations appear before the verdict; social assets are concise derivatives that link back to the canonical records.",
  "editorial_sequence": "original-claim-evidence-limits-verdict",
  "publication_gate": {
    "source_review": "approved",
    "image_rights_review": "approved",
    "calculation_review": "approved",
    "editorial_approval": "approved",
    "publish_allowed": true,
    "approved_on": "2026-10-11",
    "release_scope": "Website issue 011 and four canonical claim records only.",
    "note": "Jesse requested adding Issues 9, 10 and 11. Existing Issue 010 is retained; no social posting is performed."
  },
  "publication_blockers": [],
  "methodology": {
    "verdicts": [
      "Supported",
      "Supported with caveats",
      "Mixed / context-dependent",
      "Misleading",
      "Unsupported",
      "Contradicted",
      "Unresolved"
    ],
    "minimum_evidence": "At least two directly relevant reputable sources, normally including a primary dataset, government scientific assessment, or peer-reviewed research.",
    "attribution_boundary": "ACC evaluates the claim. It does not infer intent, coordination, funding, deception, or control without direct evidence specific to that attribution.",
    "corrections_policy": "Material corrections are dated, explained, and retained in the revision history."
  },
  "revision_history": [
    {
      "version": "web-1",
      "date": "2026-10-11",
      "change": "First website edition authorized by Jesse on October 11, 2026. Original issue, claim and evidence dates preserved; original provenance, evidence, limitations and verdict appear in that order."
    }
  ],
  "claims": [
    {
      "slug": "amazon-no-taxpayer-money",
      "claim_title": "Does private financing mean Amazon’s data-center expansion receives no public support?",
      "claim_as_circulated": "this buildout is being financed without taxpayer money because private industry is picking up the tab.",
      "full_post_context": "The checked article says the buildout is financed without taxpayer money. The strongest reasonable reading is that private companies finance their own buildings and equipment. That distinction does not eliminate public support enabling the expansion. The verdict addresses the broad public-support impression, not whether the state pays every construction bill.",
      "precise_proposition": "The buildout described by Amazon is financed without taxpayer money, presented as an absence of public support for the expansion.",
      "scope_note": "Authorized funding and reported tax benefits are different measures. Disbursement, Amazon's specific Virginia benefit and net fiscal effects were not established.",
      "verdict": "Misleading",
      "confidence": "High",
      "verdict_summary": "Private financing does not erase public support.",
      "topics": [
        "Data centers & public money"
      ],
      "evidence_summary": "The checked article says the buildout is financed without taxpayer money. The strongest reasonable reading is that private companies finance their own buildings and equipment. That distinction does not eliminate public support enabling the expansion. The verdict addresses the broad public-support impression, not whether the state pays every construction bill. Mississippi HB 1, Second Extraordinary Session of 2024, section 2, directs a $44 million transfer from the State Capital Expense Fund to the Project Atlas Fund. HB 2, section 1, appropriates $44 million from that fund to the Mississippi Development Authority for the specified data-processing project. Official governor records identify Project Atlas with AWS's Madison County investment. These are approved state funds, not proof that all funds were disbursed or paid directly to Amazon. Virginia's RD40 report, published January 2, 2026, reports $1,941,390,000 in FY2025 tax benefits for 56 data-center operators. The report says the data were supplied by the operators and were not independently validated. The figure covers the industry, not Amazon alone. It represents tax exemption benefits, not a cash appropriation. It is not a calculation of the state's net fiscal loss, and it must not be added to the Mississippi amount as a common total. Companies should disclose public support alongside private investment. These records establish public support without proving dishonest intent, a net fiscal loss, or the merits of every project. The Virginia report also estimates positive net tax revenue from the incentive under its fiscal-model assumptions (Tables 2–3). Those modeled returns deserve consideration, but they do not show that no public support exists. This fact check does not independently establish the incentive's net benefit or decide whether a particular project merits approval.",
      "why_wrong": "The checked article says the buildout is financed without taxpayer money. The strongest reasonable reading is that private companies finance their own buildings and equipment. That distinction does not eliminate public support enabling the expansion. The verdict addresses the broad public-support impression, not whether the state pays every construction bill. Mississippi HB 1, Second Extraordinary Session of 2024, section 2, directs a $44 million transfer from the State Capital Expense Fund to the Project Atlas Fund. HB 2, section 1, appropriates $44 million from that fund to the Mississippi Development Authority for the specified data-processing project. Official governor records identify Project Atlas with AWS's Madison County investment. These are approved state funds, not proof that all funds were disbursed or paid directly to Amazon. Virginia's RD40 report, published January 2, 2026, reports $1,941,390,000 in FY2025 tax benefits for 56 data-center operators. The report says the data were supplied by the operators and were not independently validated. The figure covers the industry, not Amazon alone. It represents tax exemption benefits, not a cash appropriation. It is not a calculation of the state's net fiscal loss, and it must not be added to the Mississippi amount as a common total. Companies should disclose public support alongside private investment. These records establish public support without proving dishonest intent, a net fiscal loss, or the merits of every project. The Virginia report also estimates positive net tax revenue from the incentive under its fiscal-model assumptions (Tables 2–3). Those modeled returns deserve consideration, but they do not show that no public support exists. This fact check does not independently establish the incentive's net benefit or decide whether a particular project merits approval.",
      "what_is_true": "Private companies finance their own equipment and buildings. Virginia’s report also models positive net state tax revenue under its assumptions; this check does not independently establish the incentive’s net fiscal benefit.",
      "how_scientists_know": "We read the enacted Mississippi appropriation and fund-transfer laws and the governor’s identification of Project Atlas, then separately checked Virginia’s operator-reported tax-benefit tables and fiscal-model limits.",
      "limitations": "Authorized funding and reported tax benefits are different measures. Disbursement, Amazon's specific Virginia benefit and net fiscal effects were not established. Approval isn't payment. Tax breaks aren't cash. Virginia's total is self-reported.",
      "persuasion_technique": "Omitted public-support context in a private-financing frame",
      "evidence_points": [
        "$44M — MISSISSIPPI / APPROVED PUBLIC FUNDING. State lawmakers approved funds for Amazon's Project Atlas in 2024. [E01, E02, E10]",
        "$1.94B — VIRGINIA / FY2025 TAX BENEFITS. Operators reported this industry-wide tax benefit, not an Amazon-only total. [E03]",
        "Authorized funding and reported tax benefits are different measures. Disbursement, Amazon's specific Virginia benefit and net fiscal effects were not established."
      ],
      "science_sources": [
        {
          "source_id": "E01",
          "title": "House Bill 2, Second Extraordinary Session 2024",
          "type": "Original government, intergovernmental or science-agency record",
          "publisher": "Mississippi Legislature",
          "published": "2024-01-30",
          "url": "https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/20242E/html/HB/0001-0099/HB0002SG.htm",
          "finding": "Appropriates $44 million from Project Atlas Fund to Mississippi Development Authority for the specified data-processing project. Approval is not disbursement.",
          "accessed": "2026-10-11",
          "scope_and_limits": "2024 approved appropriation",
          "locator": "Section 1, $44 million appropriation",
          "source_native_period": "2024 approved appropriation",
          "previous_access_date": "2026-10-08"
        },
        {
          "source_id": "E02",
          "title": "House Bill 1, Second Extraordinary Session 2024",
          "type": "Original government, intergovernmental or science-agency record",
          "publisher": "Mississippi Legislature",
          "published": "2024-01-30",
          "url": "https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/20242E/html/HB/0001-0099/HB0001SG.htm",
          "finding": "Transfers $44 million from the State Capital Expense Fund to the Project Atlas Fund. It is the same funding stream as E01, not an additional $44 million.",
          "accessed": "2026-10-11",
          "scope_and_limits": "2024 authorized transfer",
          "locator": "Section 2, State Capital Expense Fund transfer",
          "source_native_period": "2024 authorized transfer",
          "previous_access_date": "2026-10-08"
        },
        {
          "source_id": "E03",
          "title": "Data Center Sales and Use Tax Exemption Report, RD40",
          "type": "Original government, intergovernmental or science-agency record",
          "publisher": "Virginia Department of Taxation / Virginia Economic Development Partnership",
          "published": "2026-01-02",
          "url": "https://rga.lis.virginia.gov/Published/2026/RD40/PDF",
          "finding": "FY2025 reported tax benefits: $1,941,390,000 for 56 operators. Industry-wide, operator-reported, not independently validated and not a cash-grant total.",
          "accessed": "2026-10-11",
          "scope_and_limits": "Virginia FY2025; industry-wide",
          "locator": "Printed pp. 3–6; FY2025 benefits, Table 2 net-revenue model and Table 3 counterfactual",
          "source_native_period": "Virginia FY2025; industry-wide",
          "previous_access_date": "2026-10-08"
        },
        {
          "source_id": "E10",
          "title": "Governor Tate Reeves signs Project Atlas legislation for AWS",
          "type": "Original government, intergovernmental or science-agency record",
          "publisher": "Governor of Mississippi",
          "published": "2024-01-30",
          "url": "https://mailchi.mp/cab62044c5d6/governor-tate-reeves-project-atlas-bill-signing",
          "finding": "Official governor announcement identifies the Project Atlas legislation with AWS and its Madison County investment. Not proof of individual disbursements.",
          "accessed": "2026-10-11",
          "scope_and_limits": "January 30, 2024 signing",
          "locator": "Official announcement identifies AWS's Madison County project",
          "source_native_period": "January 30, 2024 signing",
          "previous_access_date": "2026-10-08"
        }
      ],
      "what_would_change_review": "Evidence narrowing the company statement to a specific wholly privately funded cost, or records showing a funding measure did not apply as identified.",
      "claim_id": "PB-011-01",
      "canonical_path": "/buster/011/amazon-no-taxpayer-money/",
      "short_path": "/buster/011/amazon-no-taxpayer-money",
      "source_specimen": {
        "specimen_mode": "image",
        "image_file": "claim-01-native.png",
        "public_asset_included": true,
        "rights_status": "approved",
        "platform": "Public article",
        "account": "Matt Garman, AWS CEO / About Amazon",
        "published": "2026-10-02",
        "original_url": "https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-data-centers-built-together",
        "claim_context_url": "https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-data-centers-built-together",
        "attributed_quote": "this buildout is being financed without taxpayer money because private industry is picking up the tab.",
        "presentation_description": "Unchanged, bounded native-source excerpt, with its source identity and date.",
        "reuse_status": "Bounded native excerpt used for identification and criticism with attribution and a direct source link. No license or endorsement implied.",
        "circulation_note": "Company article published October 2, 2026",
        "capture_sha256": "dc857b3bc5b39ae52ad3e15f0e1107ae70c5aaedf2d9847c8c3fcfc17c1846d6"
      },
      "revision_history": [
        {
          "version": "web-1",
          "date": "2026-10-11",
          "change": "First website edition authorized by Jesse on October 11, 2026. Original issue, claim and evidence dates preserved; original provenance, evidence, limitations and verdict appear in that order."
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "slug": "solar-farms-expiration-headline",
      "claim_title": "Does the cited percentage show that 30% of U.S. solar farms are about to expire?",
      "claim_as_circulated": "30% Of US Solar Farms Are Holding Dangerous Chemicals On The Verge Of Expiration",
      "full_post_context": "This check addresses the numerical and age claim in BGR's headline, not whether cadmium can be hazardous. The DOE source reports a 34% share of the 2022 U.S. utility-scale photovoltaic module market for cadmium-telluride technology. A module-market share is not a count of existing solar farms and gives no distribution of their ages or remaining lifetimes.",
      "precise_proposition": "The cited percentage establishes that 30% of existing U.S. solar farms hold dangerous chemicals and are nearing the end of their useful lives.",
      "scope_note": "This check does not establish a national inventory of retiring farms or claim that all discarded panels are harmless. BGR does not link to the DOE paper; DOE is ACC’s comparison evidence, not an identified citation in BGR. An earlier visual panel’s “cited” wording should be read with this clarification.",
      "verdict": "Misleading",
      "confidence": "High",
      "verdict_summary": "The cited percentage does not support the age claim.",
      "topics": [
        "Solar panels & the 30% headline"
      ],
      "evidence_summary": "This check addresses the numerical and age claim in BGR's headline, not whether cadmium can be hazardous. The DOE source reports a 34% share of the 2022 U.S. utility-scale photovoltaic module market for cadmium-telluride technology. A module-market share is not a count of existing solar farms and gives no distribution of their ages or remaining lifetimes. EPA says solar panels typically last more than 25 years. Age, condition and installation date matter when assessing retirement. The headline does not provide an age inventory establishing that 30% of U.S. farms are on the verge of expiration. The article itself acknowledges that newer installations will retire later. EPA also says some discarded panels qualify as hazardous waste while others do not. Panel composition and regulatory testing matter. Responsible end-of-life management and recycling remain real obligations. The verdict is MISLEADING for the headline's comparison, with the numerical near-expiry assertion unsupported by the cited evidence.",
      "why_wrong": "This check addresses the numerical and age claim in BGR's headline, not whether cadmium can be hazardous. The DOE source reports a 34% share of the 2022 U.S. utility-scale photovoltaic module market for cadmium-telluride technology. A module-market share is not a count of existing solar farms and gives no distribution of their ages or remaining lifetimes. EPA says solar panels typically last more than 25 years. Age, condition and installation date matter when assessing retirement. The headline does not provide an age inventory establishing that 30% of U.S. farms are on the verge of expiration. The article itself acknowledges that newer installations will retire later. EPA also says some discarded panels qualify as hazardous waste while others do not. Panel composition and regulatory testing matter. Responsible end-of-life management and recycling remain real obligations. The verdict is MISLEADING for the headline's comparison, with the numerical near-expiry assertion unsupported by the cited evidence.",
      "what_is_true": "Cadmium can be hazardous, and some discarded panels qualify as hazardous waste. EPA’s testing and composition criteria matter. The article itself acknowledges that newer installations will retire later.",
      "how_scientists_know": "We checked the DOE paper’s year, denominator and module-market definition against EPA’s panel-lifespan and hazardous-waste guidance. Neither source supplies a national inventory of farm ages.",
      "limitations": "This check does not establish a national inventory of retiring farms or claim that all discarded panels are harmless. BGR does not link to the DOE paper; DOE is ACC’s comparison evidence, not an identified citation in BGR. An earlier visual panel’s “cited” wording should be read with this clarification. Some discarded panels are hazardous waste. Composition and testing determine which.",
      "persuasion_technique": "A market-share statistic repurposed as an age statistic",
      "evidence_points": [
        "34% — 2022 U.S. UTILITY-SCALE MODULE MARKET. DOE's number describes cadmium-telluride market share. It does not count farms nearing retirement. [E04]",
        "25+ YEARS — TYPICAL SOLAR-PANEL LIFESPAN. EPA says panels typically last more than 25 years. Safe disposal still matters. [E05]",
        "This check does not establish a national inventory of retiring farms or claim that all discarded panels are harmless. BGR does not link to the DOE paper; DOE is ACC’s comparison evidence, not an identified citation in BGR. An earlier visual panel’s “cited” wording should be read with this clarification."
      ],
      "science_sources": [
        {
          "source_id": "E04",
          "title": "Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaics Perspective Paper",
          "type": "Original government, intergovernmental or science-agency record",
          "publisher": "U.S. Department of Energy",
          "published": "2025-01-16",
          "url": "https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/DOE%20SETO%20CdTe%20Photovoltaics%20Perspective%20Paper.pdf",
          "finding": "34% is cadmium-telluride share of the 2022 U.S. utility-scale PV module market. It does not measure existing-farm count, ages or near-retirement share.",
          "accessed": "2026-10-11",
          "scope_and_limits": "U.S. utility-scale PV module market, 2022",
          "locator": "Printed pp. 8-9, 2022 module-market share",
          "source_native_period": "U.S. utility-scale PV module market, 2022",
          "previous_access_date": "2026-10-08"
        },
        {
          "source_id": "E05",
          "title": "End-of-Life Solar Panels: Regulations and Management",
          "type": "Original government, intergovernmental or science-agency record",
          "publisher": "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency",
          "published": "2026-09-30 (page last updated)",
          "url": "https://www.epa.gov/hw/end-life-solar-panels-regulations-and-management",
          "finding": "Panels typically last more than 25 years. Some discarded panels are hazardous waste while others are not, depending on composition and classification testing.",
          "accessed": "2026-10-11",
          "scope_and_limits": "General lifespan and U.S. waste regulation",
          "locator": "Lifespan and hazardous-waste classification sections",
          "source_native_period": "General lifespan and U.S. waste regulation",
          "previous_access_date": "2026-10-08"
        }
      ],
      "what_would_change_review": "A credible dated inventory showing the share of U.S. farms near retirement, distinct from module-market share.",
      "claim_id": "PB-011-02",
      "canonical_path": "/buster/011/solar-farms-expiration-headline/",
      "short_path": "/buster/011/solar-farms-expiration-headline",
      "source_specimen": {
        "specimen_mode": "image",
        "image_file": "claim-02-native.png",
        "public_asset_included": true,
        "rights_status": "approved",
        "platform": "Public article",
        "account": "BGR / Briley Kenney",
        "published": "2026-10-05",
        "original_url": "https://www.bgr.com/2278256/us-solar-farms-cadmium-telluride-expiration-pollution/",
        "claim_context_url": "https://www.bgr.com/2278256/us-solar-farms-cadmium-telluride-expiration-pollution/",
        "attributed_quote": "30% Of US Solar Farms Are Holding Dangerous Chemicals On The Verge Of Expiration",
        "presentation_description": "Unchanged, bounded native-source excerpt, with its source identity and date.",
        "reuse_status": "Bounded native excerpt used for identification and criticism with attribution and a direct source link. No license or endorsement implied.",
        "circulation_note": "Headline published October 5, 2026",
        "capture_sha256": "67b236fac35b3febab4fa7dbd495d160eda5c95faef8275a7e6603a9338fe04c"
      },
      "revision_history": [
        {
          "version": "web-1",
          "date": "2026-10-11",
          "change": "First website edition authorized by Jesse on October 11, 2026. Original issue, claim and evidence dates preserved; original provenance, evidence, limitations and verdict appear in that order."
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "slug": "china-does-not-use-wind",
      "claim_title": "Does China use wind to generate electricity?",
      "claim_as_circulated": "But they don't use wind.",
      "full_post_context": "The original July 24, 2026 remarks deny or substantially minimize China's wind use. This is a historical example, not a claim that we verified as newly circulating in October. The excerpt and broader remarks concern China's use of wind, rather than whether it also burns fossil fuels.",
      "precise_proposition": "China does not use wind to generate electricity. The checked remarks were made July 24, 2026; no new October resurgence is asserted.",
      "scope_note": "Historical July example. Official national generation figures are used. IRENA capacity is corroboration, not an independent measure of generation.",
      "verdict": "Contradicted",
      "confidence": "High",
      "verdict_summary": "China's documented wind use contradicts the claim.",
      "topics": [
        "China's actual wind power"
      ],
      "evidence_summary": "The original July 24, 2026 remarks deny or substantially minimize China's wind use. This is a historical example, not a claim that we verified as newly circulating in October. The excerpt and broader remarks concern China's use of wind, rather than whether it also burns fossil fuels. China's National Energy Administration reported 1.13 trillion kilowatt-hours of actual wind generation in 2025, up 13%. That is generated electricity, not merely planned turbines or manufacturing for export. As a separate corroborating measure, IRENA lists 640,626 MW of installed wind capacity in China and 1,291,368 MW worldwide at the end of 2025, or about 49.6%. Capacity describes equipment's rated potential and must not be substituted for generation. The generation statistic comes from China's official energy agency, while IRENA compiles capacity statistics and may draw on national sources. These are not wholly independent underlying measurement systems. They nevertheless directly contradict no-wind or very-little-wind framing. China also relies heavily on coal, which does not erase its extensive wind generation.",
      "why_wrong": "The original July 24, 2026 remarks deny or substantially minimize China's wind use. This is a historical example, not a claim that we verified as newly circulating in October. The excerpt and broader remarks concern China's use of wind, rather than whether it also burns fossil fuels. China's National Energy Administration reported 1.13 trillion kilowatt-hours of actual wind generation in 2025, up 13%. That is generated electricity, not merely planned turbines or manufacturing for export. As a separate corroborating measure, IRENA lists 640,626 MW of installed wind capacity in China and 1,291,368 MW worldwide at the end of 2025, or about 49.6%. Capacity describes equipment's rated potential and must not be substituted for generation. The generation statistic comes from China's official energy agency, while IRENA compiles capacity statistics and may draw on national sources. These are not wholly independent underlying measurement systems. They nevertheless directly contradict no-wind or very-little-wind framing. China also relies heavily on coal, which does not erase its extensive wind generation.",
      "what_is_true": "China also relies heavily on coal. Installed capacity and generated electricity are separate measures, and IRENA may share national underlying sources with the energy agency.",
      "how_scientists_know": "We checked actual 2025 generation in China’s official energy-agency review, and separately calculated China’s share of IRENA’s end-2025 installed wind capacity: 640,626 / 1,291,368 ≈ 49.6%.",
      "limitations": "Historical July example. Official national generation figures are used. IRENA capacity is corroboration, not an independent measure of generation. China still uses coal. Capacity and electricity generated are different measures.",
      "persuasion_technique": "An absolute denial that collapses a mixed electricity system",
      "evidence_points": [
        "1.13 TRILLION kWh — ACTUAL WIND ELECTRICITY / 2025. China's energy agency reports\n13% more wind electricity than in 2024. [E06]",
        "ABOUT HALF — OF THE WORLD'S INSTALLED WIND CAPACITY. IRENA lists 640,626 MW in China out of 1,291,368 MW worldwide in 2025. [E07]",
        "Historical July example. Official national generation figures are used. IRENA capacity is corroboration, not an independent measure of generation."
      ],
      "science_sources": [
        {
          "source_id": "E06",
          "title": "2025 renewable energy grid-connected operation review",
          "type": "Original government, intergovernmental or science-agency record",
          "publisher": "China National Energy Administration",
          "published": "2026-02-12",
          "url": "https://www.nea.gov.cn/20260212/742b8c6a078347b0b39de676c05c5d58/c.html",
          "finding": "Reports actual 2025 wind electricity generation of 1.13 trillion kWh, 13% greater than prior year. Chinese original, not capacity or exports.",
          "accessed": "2026-10-11",
          "scope_and_limits": "China wind generation, calendar 2025",
          "locator": "Section two, wind generation paragraph; Chinese original",
          "source_native_period": "China wind generation, calendar 2025",
          "previous_access_date": "2026-10-08"
        },
        {
          "source_id": "E07",
          "title": "Renewable Capacity Statistics 2026",
          "type": "Original government, intergovernmental or science-agency record",
          "publisher": "International Renewable Energy Agency",
          "published": "2026-03",
          "url": "https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2026/Mar/IRENA_DAT_RE_capacity_statistics_2026.pdf",
          "finding": "End-2025 China wind capacity 640,626 MW, world 1,291,368 MW, approximately 49.6%. Installed capacity does not measure generated electricity. National-source overlap is possible.",
          "accessed": "2026-10-11",
          "scope_and_limits": "End of 2025 installed capacity",
          "locator": "Printed p. 14 / PDF p. 26, wind capacity",
          "source_native_period": "End of 2025 installed capacity",
          "previous_access_date": "2026-10-08"
        }
      ],
      "what_would_change_review": "Documented correction of official generation/capacity data sufficient to change the conclusion; coal use alone does not.",
      "claim_id": "PB-011-03",
      "canonical_path": "/buster/011/china-does-not-use-wind/",
      "short_path": "/buster/011/china-does-not-use-wind",
      "source_specimen": {
        "specimen_mode": "image",
        "image_file": "claim-03-native.png",
        "public_asset_included": true,
        "rights_status": "approved",
        "platform": "Official presidential transcript",
        "account": "Donald Trump / Official presidential transcript",
        "published": "2026-07-24",
        "original_url": "https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/DCPD-202600489/pdf/DCPD-202600489.pdf#page=9",
        "claim_context_url": "https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/DCPD-202600489/pdf/DCPD-202600489.pdf#page=9",
        "attributed_quote": "But they don't use wind.",
        "presentation_description": "Unchanged, bounded native-source excerpt, with its source identity and date.",
        "reuse_status": "Bounded native excerpt used for identification and criticism with attribution and a direct source link. No license or endorsement implied.",
        "circulation_note": "Historical example / July 24, 2026 / transcript p. 9",
        "capture_sha256": "1530458d3d00016759b1143930704a7d6d23b324da9a2f2a52d4a7fbe8157fc2"
      },
      "revision_history": [
        {
          "version": "web-1",
          "date": "2026-10-11",
          "change": "First website edition authorized by Jesse on October 11, 2026. Original issue, claim and evidence dates preserved; original provenance, evidence, limitations and verdict appear in that order."
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "slug": "sun-main-driver-recent-warming",
      "claim_title": "Can changes in the Sun explain recent global warming?",
      "claim_as_circulated": "the sun is the main driver of climate change, not carbon dioxide (CO2).",
      "full_post_context": "The original statement is the organization's own position in the About section of its October 5 press release. It is not attributed to the advertised speaker and does not report a new study. Our verdict concerns its use as an explanation for recent global warming, not the Sun's basic role in climate or every historical climate change.",
      "precise_proposition": "The Sun, rather than human greenhouse-gas emissions, is the main driver of recent global warming. This check does not concern every historical change in climate.",
      "scope_note": "Verdict scope is recent global warming. Multiple human and natural influences exist. IPCC attribution ranges and baselines are retained in the full record.",
      "verdict": "Contradicted",
      "confidence": "High",
      "verdict_summary": "False as an explanation of recent global warming.",
      "topics": [
        "The Sun & recent global warming"
      ],
      "evidence_summary": "The original statement is the organization's own position in the About section of its October 5 press release. It is not attributed to the advertised speaker and does not report a new study. Our verdict concerns its use as an explanation for recent global warming, not the Sun's basic role in climate or every historical climate change. NASA reports no net increase in incoming solar energy since the 1950s and no upward trend in the satellite measurements beginning in 1978, despite rising global temperatures. NASA also explains that warming near the surface with cooling in the stratosphere matches the greenhouse-gas pattern rather than an increase in solar output. The IPCC's 2023 synthesis estimates human-caused warming for 2010-2019 relative to 1850-1900 at 0.8-1.3 degrees C, with a best estimate of 1.07 degrees C. Natural solar and volcanic drivers contributed between -0.1 and +0.1 degrees C. Greenhouse gases caused warming, partly offset by other human influences, especially aerosols. This does not mean CO2 is the only driver or that uncertainty is absent. The Sun and orbital cycles do affect climate over various timescales. That true general statement cannot explain the observed modern warming trend without the needed increase in solar forcing.",
      "why_wrong": "The original statement is the organization's own position in the About section of its October 5 press release. It is not attributed to the advertised speaker and does not report a new study. Our verdict concerns its use as an explanation for recent global warming, not the Sun's basic role in climate or every historical climate change. NASA reports no net increase in incoming solar energy since the 1950s and no upward trend in the satellite measurements beginning in 1978, despite rising global temperatures. NASA also explains that warming near the surface with cooling in the stratosphere matches the greenhouse-gas pattern rather than an increase in solar output. The IPCC's 2023 synthesis estimates human-caused warming for 2010-2019 relative to 1850-1900 at 0.8-1.3 degrees C, with a best estimate of 1.07 degrees C. Natural solar and volcanic drivers contributed between -0.1 and +0.1 degrees C. Greenhouse gases caused warming, partly offset by other human influences, especially aerosols. This does not mean CO2 is the only driver or that uncertainty is absent. The Sun and orbital cycles do affect climate over various timescales. That true general statement cannot explain the observed modern warming trend without the needed increase in solar forcing.",
      "what_is_true": "The Sun and orbital cycles affect climate on other timescales. Modern warming also reflects non-CO₂ greenhouse gases, aerosols and natural influences; CO₂ is not the only factor.",
      "how_scientists_know": "NASA compares incoming solar-energy trends and atmospheric warming patterns. IPCC attribution combines observations and climate-model experiments to estimate human and natural contributions with uncertainty ranges.",
      "limitations": "Verdict scope is recent global warming. Multiple human and natural influences exist. IPCC attribution ranges and baselines are retained in the full record. The Sun affects climate. This verdict concerns recent warming, not all climate history.",
      "persuasion_technique": "A true general role for the Sun substituted for modern attribution",
      "evidence_points": [
        "SINCE 1978 — NO UPWARD TREND IN SOLAR ENERGY. NASA reports no rising solar-energy trend since 1978. [E08]",
        "HUMAN INFLUENCE — EXPLAINS THE MODERN WARMING TREND. IPCC attributes modern warming chiefly to human greenhouse gases. Natural drivers had little net effect. [E09]",
        "Verdict scope is recent global warming. Multiple human and natural influences exist. IPCC attribution ranges and baselines are retained in the full record."
      ],
      "science_sources": [
        {
          "source_id": "E08",
          "title": "Is the Sun Causing Global Warming?",
          "type": "Original government, intergovernmental or science-agency record",
          "publisher": "NASA",
          "published": "2024-10-23 (page last updated)",
          "url": "https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/faq/is-the-sun-causing-global-warming/",
          "finding": "No net incoming-solar-energy increase since the 1950s and no upward trend in the satellite record beginning in 1978, despite rising temperatures.",
          "accessed": "2026-10-11",
          "scope_and_limits": "Modern trend; satellite measurements since 1978",
          "locator": "Solar trend and atmospheric-pattern paragraphs",
          "source_native_period": "Modern trend; satellite measurements since 1978",
          "previous_access_date": "2026-10-08"
        },
        {
          "source_id": "E09",
          "title": "AR6 Synthesis Report, Summary for Policymakers",
          "type": "Original government, intergovernmental or science-agency record",
          "publisher": "Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change",
          "published": "2023",
          "url": "https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/summary-for-policymakers/",
          "finding": "2010-2019 versus 1850-1900 human warming 0.8-1.3 C, best 1.07 C. Natural solar/volcanic contribution -0.1 to +0.1 C. Greenhouse-gas warming partly offset by other human influences.",
          "accessed": "2026-10-11",
          "scope_and_limits": "2010-2019 relative to 1850-1900",
          "locator": "Section A.1.2, 2010-2019 versus 1850-1900 attribution",
          "source_native_period": "2010-2019 relative to 1850-1900",
          "previous_access_date": "2026-10-08"
        }
      ],
      "what_would_change_review": "A new scientific assessment demonstrating solar forcing explains the modern warming pattern and revising current attribution.",
      "claim_id": "PB-011-04",
      "canonical_path": "/buster/011/sun-main-driver-recent-warming/",
      "short_path": "/buster/011/sun-main-driver-recent-warming",
      "source_specimen": {
        "specimen_mode": "image",
        "image_file": "claim-04-native.png",
        "public_asset_included": true,
        "rights_status": "approved",
        "platform": "Public article",
        "account": "Friends of Science Society / PRNewswire release",
        "published": "2026-10-05",
        "original_url": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/friends-of-science-society-presents-why-you-should-no-longer-fear-global-warming-aka-climate-change--now-ticketing-302897964.html",
        "claim_context_url": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/friends-of-science-society-presents-why-you-should-no-longer-fear-global-warming-aka-climate-change--now-ticketing-302897964.html",
        "attributed_quote": "the sun is the main driver of climate change, not carbon dioxide (CO2).",
        "presentation_description": "Unchanged, bounded native-source excerpt, with its source identity and date.",
        "reuse_status": "Bounded native excerpt used for identification and criticism with attribution and a direct source link. No license or endorsement implied.",
        "circulation_note": "Published October 5, 2026 / organization About section",
        "capture_sha256": "01c50d8668a27ffb0211a01adc98c995436dbb17b44e192bd91fafd602126857"
      },
      "revision_history": [
        {
          "version": "web-1",
          "date": "2026-10-11",
          "change": "First website edition authorized by Jesse on October 11, 2026. Original issue, claim and evidence dates preserved; original provenance, evidence, limitations and verdict appear in that order."
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "social_release": {
    "status": "preview-ready",
    "production_date": "2026-10-08",
    "format": "10 portrait slides (1080 × 1440)",
    "claim_ids": [
      "PB-011-01",
      "PB-011-02",
      "PB-011-03",
      "PB-011-04"
    ],
    "slides": [
      {
        "number": 1,
        "file": "slide-01.png",
        "role": "Cover and scope",
        "claim_id": null,
        "alt": "Propaganda Buster Issue 011 cover, October 8, 2026. Tactile navy, orange and lime design with an illustrative solar, wind and public-records collage. Four topics: data centers and public money, a solar-panel age statistic, China's wind power and the Sun's role in recent warming. All decorative art is generated, not evidence."
      },
      {
        "number": 2,
        "file": "slide-02.png",
        "role": "Claim specimen",
        "claim_id": "PB-011-01",
        "alt": "The Claim, case 1. Amazon AWS CEO Matt Garman's October 2, 2026 company article says data-center buildout is financed without taxpayer money. An unchanged native excerpt appears before the fact check on slide 3."
      },
      {
        "number": 3,
        "file": "slide-03.png",
        "role": "Evidence and limitations",
        "claim_id": "PB-011-01",
        "alt": "The Facts, answering slide 2. Verdict misleading. Mississippi approved 44 million dollars for Amazon's Project Atlas in 2024. Virginia data-center operators reported 1.94 billion dollars in FY2025 tax benefits, industry-wide, not Amazon alone. Approval is not proof of payment, and tax breaks are not cash grants. Primary sources appear at the bottom."
      },
      {
        "number": 4,
        "file": "slide-04.png",
        "role": "Claim specimen",
        "claim_id": "PB-011-02",
        "alt": "The Claim, case 2. BGR's October 5, 2026 headline says 30 percent of U.S. solar farms hold dangerous chemicals on the verge of expiration. The native source headline is shown, with context and a pointer to slide 5."
      },
      {
        "number": 5,
        "file": "slide-05.png",
        "role": "Evidence and limitations",
        "claim_id": "PB-011-02",
        "alt": "The Facts, answering slide 4. Verdict misleading. DOE's 34 percent statistic concerns cadmium-telluride's 2022 U.S. utility-scale module-market share, not the age of existing farms. EPA says solar panels typically last over 25 years. Some discarded panels qualify as hazardous waste, so responsible disposal matters."
      },
      {
        "number": 6,
        "file": "slide-06.png",
        "role": "Claim specimen",
        "claim_id": "PB-011-03",
        "alt": "The Claim, case 3. A historical July 24, 2026 presidential transcript includes Donald Trump's statement about China, But they don't use wind. The issue explicitly says a new October resurgence was not verified."
      },
      {
        "number": 7,
        "file": "slide-07.png",
        "role": "Evidence and limitations",
        "claim_id": "PB-011-03",
        "alt": "The Facts, answering slide 6. Verdict false. China's National Energy Administration reports 1.13 trillion kilowatt-hours of wind generation in 2025, up 13 percent. IRENA reports roughly half the world's installed wind capacity in China. Generation and capacity are different, and China still uses coal."
      },
      {
        "number": 8,
        "file": "slide-08.png",
        "role": "Claim specimen",
        "claim_id": "PB-011-04",
        "alt": "The Claim, case 4. Friends of Science Society's October 5, 2026 press-release About section says the Sun is climate change's main driver rather than carbon dioxide. The claim belongs to the organization, not the advertised event speaker. The check concerns recent global warming."
      },
      {
        "number": 9,
        "file": "slide-09.png",
        "role": "Evidence and limitations",
        "claim_id": "PB-011-04",
        "alt": "The Facts, answering slide 8. Verdict false as an explanation of recent warming. NASA finds no upward trend in solar energy in the satellite record since 1978. IPCC attributes modern warming mainly to human greenhouse-gas emissions, with little net contribution from natural drivers. The Sun still affects climate on other timescales."
      },
      {
        "number": 10,
        "file": "slide-10.png",
        "role": "Sources and website invitation",
        "claim_id": null,
        "alt": "More Propaganda Buster issues and full sources at www.affectclimatechange.com/buster. Follow ACC on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube, shown with five platform icons. Navy paper texture and editable white and lime lettering."
      }
    ]
  }
}