Encyclopedia article
Climate change
Long-term shifts in global temperatures and weather patterns, driven mainly by human activities since the 1800s
- Updated
- Version 1
- 1,891 words
- 8 min read
- 19 sources
Truth Ledger
45 claims checked
- Verified
- 43
- Disputed
- 2
- Removed
- 0
Checked by GPT-6.1 Sol and Grok 4.7, each without seeing the other’s answers.
Neutrality: 6 of 6 framing flags fixed.
A claim is stated as fact only when both checkers confirm it from the cited sources; a split verdict is published with attribution, and a claim neither can confirm is cut.
See every claimClimate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, which can be natural, but since the 1800s human activities, mainly the burning of coal, oil and gas, have been the main driver 132. The IPCC states that human activities, principally through greenhouse gas emissions, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching about 1.1 °C above 1850–1900 levels in 2011–2020 12. Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries agreed to keep warming well below 2 °C, with an aim of limiting the rise to 1.5 °C 4. A UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report released in 2026 projects about 1.8 °C of warming this century on the current emissions trajectory, which Nature describes as the best the planet can hope for on that trajectory 48. The excerpts available here do not set out the policy assumptions behind that figure.
Definition and terminology
#The United Nations defines climate change as long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, which can be natural, for example from changes in the Sun's activity or large volcanic eruptions 13.
Wikipedia describes present-day climate change as including both global warming, the ongoing increase in global average temperature, and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. It adds that in a broader sense the term also covers earlier long-term changes to Earth's climate 1.
Observed warming
#Sources give different figures for the amount of warming, and the excerpts do not reconcile them. The Royal Society reports that multiple independent teams have concluded that global average surface air temperature has risen by about 1 °C since 1900 5. The IPCC puts global surface temperature in 2011–2020 at 1.09 °C (range 0.95–1.20 °C) above 1850–1900 12. NOAA describes an increase of roughly 1 °C since the pre-industrial era (1850–1900 in its record) 16. A UN page states that Earth's surface is now about 1.44 °C warmer than in the late 1800s 13. The figures refer to different periods and baselines.
Warming has been faster over land than over the ocean: the IPCC estimates 1.59 °C over land and 0.88 °C over the ocean for 2011–2020 12. NOAA reports an average warming rate of 0.06 °C per decade since 1850, rising to 0.20 °C per decade since 1982 16. The IPCC finds that global surface temperature has increased faster since 1970 than in any other 50-year period over at least the last 2,000 years 12. Wikipedia reports that Arctic surface temperatures are rising three to four times faster than elsewhere 1.
The UN states that 2015–2025 were the 11 hottest years on record and that each of the past nine years set a new record for ocean heat content 2. According to Wikipedia, 2024 was the warmest year on record at +1.60 °C 1. Nature reported that researchers noted 2024 as the first year in which global average temperatures surpassed 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels 4. Single-year values differ from the long-term average used to define the Paris target, which Nature reports is now expected to breach 1.5 °C by the end of the decade 4.
NASA reports that Greenland lost an average of 279 billion tons of ice per year between 1993 and 2019 and Antarctica about 148 billion tons per year 14.
Causes
#Greenhouse gases absorb some of the heat that Earth radiates after it warms from sunlight, warming the lower atmosphere 1. The IPCC states that observed warming is human-caused, with warming from greenhouse gases, dominated by CO2 and methane, partly masked by aerosol cooling 12.
The IPCC's best estimate of human-caused warming from 1850–1900 to 2010–2019 is 1.07 °C (likely range 0.8–1.3 °C). Over the same period it estimates that natural solar and volcanic drivers changed global surface temperature by about ±0.1 °C and internal variability by about ±0.2 °C 1216.
By 2022, concentrations of CO2 and methane had risen by about 50% and 164% respectively since 1750, according to Wikipedia 1. Sources differ on how far back current CO2 levels are unprecedented: Britannica states they are the highest in two million years 3, while Wikipedia states they exceed those at any time in the last 14 million years 1.
An annual update of global climate indicators estimated 2023 anthropogenic emissions at 55.4 ± 5.1 Gt CO2e. The total comprised 37.8 Gt CO2 from fossil fuels and industry, 3.6 Gt CO2 from land use, land-use change and forestry, and 9.2, 2.9 and 1.9 Gt CO2e from methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases 19.
The IPCC reports that land and ocean sinks have taken up a near-constant proportion, globally about 56% per year, of CO2 emissions from human activities 12.
Projections and uncertainty
#The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, as cited by Wikipedia, projected warming by 2100 of 1.0–1.8 °C under very low emissions and 3.3–5.7 °C under very high emissions 1.
Assessments of the likely outcome differ. According to Wikipedia, pledges made under the Paris Agreement as of 2024 give a 66% chance of keeping warming under 2.8 °C by 2100 1. Nature reported that a UNEP report released in 2026 found about 1.8 °C to be the best the planet can hope for on its current emissions trajectory 4. The Guardian's headline states that global heating will hit at least 1.8 °C, and it reported that the report confirmed overshooting the 1.5 °C goal was now “unavoidable” and likely within the next few years 8. The excerpts do not explain why the 2.8 °C and 1.8 °C figures differ.
Several bodies stress limits on prediction. The Royal Society states that precise decade-by-decade estimates are impossible, partly because future human CO2 emissions cannot be predicted and depend on factors such as how the global economy develops 5.
According to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office, some projections are incomplete, inconsistent or unreliable, in large part because projected levels of warming have no precedent in recorded history. The excerpt available does not say which projections it refers to, so this could not be independently confirmed. The Office adds that such projections involve uncertainties that cannot be well quantified 10.
Authors writing in Nature Climate Change argue that different assessments present policymakers with different pictures of the same climate and nature risk, and that governments need a shared way to weigh them. In their view, under-preparing for a severe, irreversible outcome costs far more 6.
Impacts
#The IPCC states that human-caused climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region, with widespread adverse impacts on food and water security, human health and economies. It adds that vulnerable communities that have historically contributed the least are disproportionately affected 12.
According to Wikipedia, sea level rise reached 4.8 cm per decade between 2014 and 2023, and climate change has not increased the frequency of tropical cyclones 1.
Health projections vary by source. The UN, citing the World Health Organization, expects approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year between 2030 and 2050 from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress 2. Wikipedia cites the World Economic Forum as projecting 14.5 million additional deaths by 2050 1. The UN also states that glaciers are projected to vanish at one-third of current sites by 2050 and that forecasts estimate droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world's population by then 2.
Nature, citing the IPCC, reports that beyond 1.5 °C the risks of triggering tipping points in the climate system grow more acute and rise with every tenth of a degree of further warming 4. Wikipedia reports that an expert elicitation found the role of climate change in armed conflict to be small compared with factors such as socio-economic inequality and state capabilities 1.
The UN notes that some groups are more vulnerable, such as people living in small island nations and other developing countries, and that sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion have advanced to the point where entire communities have had to relocate 13. Wikipedia states that poorer communities are responsible for a small share of global emissions yet have the least ability to adapt 1.
Mitigation and adaptation
#Wikipedia reports that most countries aim to stop emitting carbon dioxide and that there is widespread support for climate action worldwide 1. It also reports that renewables represented 86% of new electricity generation installed in 2023 and that deployed carbon capture and storage removes around 0.1% of annual greenhouse gas emissions 1.
Adaptation, through efforts such as flood control measures or drought-resistant crops, partially reduces climate risks, although some limits to adaptation have already been reached 1.
International agreements and national policy
#The 2015 Paris Agreement committed countries to keeping the rise in global average temperature well below 2 °C relative to the pre-industrial average, with an aim of limiting it to 1.5 °C 4. Wikipedia reports that as of August 2026, 194 states and the European Union had joined 1.
The 1.5 °C goal remained prominent in UN negotiations even as countries failed to make the cuts needed to achieve it. The 2021 Glasgow summit theme was “keep 1.5 ºC alive”, and the 2025 meeting in Brazil ended with a resolution “to keep 1.5 ºC in reach” 4. Wikipedia states that the 1987 Montreal Protocol may have avoided 0.5–1.0 °C of warming 1.
The IPCC states that global greenhouse gas emissions have arisen from unequal historical and ongoing contributions across regions, between and within countries, and between individuals 12. Oxfam, as cited by Wikipedia, found that in 2023 the wealthiest 10% of people were responsible for 50% of global emissions 1.
Public opinion and politics
#Scientific assessments treat recent warming as human-caused 1213, but public views vary. An article hosted on PMC says that a phenomenon is strongest in the USA and stronger in Anglophone countries in general, citing Hornsey et al. (2018). The excerpt does not define the phenomenon, so it could not be confirmed that it refers to ideological division, though the article goes on to discuss the ideological split over climate change 9.
The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication classifies Americans into six groups: Alarmed (28%), Concerned (29%), Cautious (15%), Disengaged (6%), Doubtful (11%) and Dismissive (11%) 7. According to Yale researchers, the Alarmed grew from about 15% in 2013, while the Dismissive changed little from about 12% 7.
Yale describes the Doubtful as thinking global warming probably is not real or is a natural cycle, and the Dismissive as firmly convinced it is not real, not human-caused and not a serious problem 7.
Pew Research Center found in 2023 that 54% of U.S. adults describe climate change as a major threat to the country's well-being, including 78% of Democrats and 23% of Republicans 11. Two-thirds of U.S. adults say the country should prioritise developing renewable energy over expanding oil, coal and natural gas production. Among Republicans and Republican leaners, 42% support prioritising alternative energy and 58% prioritise expanding fossil fuel exploration and production 11.
Americans are reluctant to phase out fossil fuels altogether: 68% say the country should use a mix of energy sources, and 31% favour a complete phase-out 11. In a 2022 survey, 69% favoured the U.S. taking steps to become carbon neutral by 2050 11. In 2023, 74% supported U.S. participation in international efforts to reduce the effects of climate change 11.
Outside the United States, Wikipedia cites a 2024 survey across 125 countries that found 89% wanted intensified political action 1.
History of the science
#Scripture
Passages quoted from the King James Version. The text is fetched, never written by a model.
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Sources
- 1.Climate change — Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
en.wikipedia.orgWikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.Climate change: evidence and causes (opens in a new tab)
royalsociety.org
- 6.
- 7.Yale Experts Explain the Politics of Climate Change (opens in a new tab)
sustainability.yale.edu
- 8.
- 9.Political events and public views on climate change - PMC (opens in a new tab)
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 10.
- 11.
- 12.
- 13.
- 14.Evidence - NASA Science (opens in a new tab)
science.nasa.gov
- 15.
- 16.
- 17.
- 18.
- 19.
Truth Ledger
Every checkable claim in the draft, checked by GPT-6.1 Sol and Grok 4.7. A claim is stated as fact only when both checkers confirm it from the cited sources; a split verdict is published with attribution, and a claim neither can confirm is cut.
Showing 45 claims.
- Verified
Human activities have been the main driver of climate change since the 1800s, mainly through burning fossil fuels.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Sources 2 and 13 explicitly identify human activities, mainly fossil fuel burning, as the main driver since the 1800s. / UN sources say human activities, mainly fossil-fuel burning, have driven climate change since the 1800s.
- Verified
The IPCC states that human activities have unequivocally caused global warming.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Sources 12 and 16 quote the IPCC's unequivocal attribution of global warming to human activities. / IPCC text quoted in both sources says human activities have unequivocally caused global warming.
- Verified
Global surface temperature in 2011–2020 was 1.09 °C (0.95–1.20 °C) above 1850–1900.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 12 gives 1.09°C, with a 0.95–1.20°C range, for 2011–2020 relative to 1850–1900. / Source gives 1.09°C (0.95–1.20°C) above 1850–1900 for 2011–2020.
Cites12
- Verified
Land warmed 1.59 °C and the ocean 0.88 °C in 2011–2020 relative to 1850–1900.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 12 reports the stated land and ocean warming estimates for those periods. / Source reports land 1.59°C and ocean 0.88°C for 2011–2020 versus 1850–1900.
Cites12
- Verified
Multiple independent teams conclude global surface air temperature has risen about 1 °C since 1900.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 5 explicitly reports independent teams unanimously finding about 1°C of warming since 1900. / Royal Society says independent teams find about 1°C of warming since 1900.
Cites5
- Verified
The UN states Earth's surface is about 1.44 °C warmer than in the late 1800s.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 13 states that Earth's average surface temperature is about 1.44°C above the late-1800s level. / UN page states surface temperature is about 1.44°C warmer than the late 1800s.
Cites13
- Verified
NOAA reports warming of 0.06 °C per decade since 1850 and 0.20 °C per decade since 1982.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 16 reports both rates with the stated starting years. / NOAA reports 0.06°C/decade since 1850 and 0.20°C/decade since 1982.
Cites16
- Verified
Global surface temperature has increased faster since 1970 than in any 50-year period in at least 2,000 years.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 12 explicitly states this comparison with other 50-year periods over at least 2,000 years. / IPCC says warming since 1970 is faster than any 50-year period in at least 2,000 years.
Cites12
- Verified
2015–2025 were the 11 hottest years on record.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 2 explicitly lists 2015–2025 as the hottest 11 years on record. / UN source states 2015–2025 were the hottest 11 years on record.
Cites2
- Verified
2024 was the warmest year on record at about +1.60 °C.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 identifies 2024 as the warmest year on record at +1.60°C. / Wikipedia says 2024 was the warmest year on record at +1.60°C.
Cites1
- Verified
2024 was the first year global temperatures exceeded 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 4 explicitly says annual global average temperatures first surpassed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in 2024. / Nature reports researchers said 2024 first surpassed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Cites4
- Verified
The long-term average used to define the 1.5 °C target is expected to breach it by the end of the decade.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 4 explicitly projects the long-term average breaching 1.5°C by the decade's end. / Source says the long-term 1.5°C average is expected to be breached by decade’s end.
Cites4
- Verified
Greenland lost about 279 billion tons of ice per year and Antarctica about 148 billion tons per year between 1993 and 2019.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 14 reports these average annual ice losses in its discussion of measurements between 1993 and 2019. / NASA reports those average annual ice losses for Greenland and Antarctica, 1993–2019.
Cites14
- Verified
Best estimate of human-caused warming from 1850–1900 to 2010–2019 is 1.07 °C, likely range 0.8–1.3 °C.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Sources 12 and 16 give the stated best estimate, likely range, and comparison periods. / Both sources give a 1.07°C best estimate and likely range of 0.8–1.3°C.
- Verified
Natural solar and volcanic drivers changed global surface temperature by about ±0.1 °C over 1850–1900 to 2010–2019.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Sources 12 and 16 give natural solar and volcanic contributions of −0.1°C to +0.1°C over the stated period. / Sources say solar and volcanic drivers changed temperature by about ±0.1°C over that period.
- Verified
By 2022 CO2 and methane concentrations had risen about 50% and 164% since 1750.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 gives the stated concentration increases in 2022 relative to 1750. / Wikipedia states 2022 CO2 and methane were about 50% and 164% above 1750.
Cites1
- Verified
Britannica states CO2 levels are at their highest in two million years.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 3 explicitly states that carbon dioxide levels are at their highest in two million years. / The Britannica page states CO2 levels are the highest in two million years.
Cites3
- Verified
Wikipedia states CO2 levels are the highest in 14 million years.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 explicitly states that carbon dioxide levels exceed those at any time during the last 14 million years. / Wikipedia says current CO2 exceeds any level in the last 14 million years.
Cites1
- Verified
Global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 were 55.4 ± 5.1 Gt CO2e.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 19 reports 2023 emissions of 55.4 ± 5.1 Gt CO2e. / Source reports 55.4 ± 5.1 Gt CO2e in 2023 for the anthropogenic greenhouse-gas total.
Cites19
- Verified
Fossil fuels and industry emitted 37.8 Gt CO2 in 2023.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 19 reports fossil-fuel and industry CO2 emissions of 37.8 ± 3.0 Gt in 2023. / Source lists CO2-FFI, fossil fuels and industry, at 37.8 ± 3.0 Gt CO2 in 2023.
Cites19
- Verified
Land and ocean sinks take up about 56% per year of human CO2 emissions.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 12 states that land and ocean sinks absorb globally about 56% annually of human CO2 emissions. / IPCC says land and ocean sinks take up about 56% per year of human CO2 emissions.
Cites12
- Verified
Arctic surface temperatures are rising three to four times faster than the rest of the world.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 explicitly gives Arctic surface warming as three to four times faster than elsewhere. / Wikipedia says Arctic surface temperatures are rising three to four times faster.
Cites1
- Verified
The IPCC AR6 projected 2100 warming of 1.0–1.8 °C under very low and 3.3–5.7 °C under very high emissions.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 reports both AR6 projection ranges for 2100 under the stated emissions scenarios. / Wikipedia cites IPCC AR6 very-likely 2100 ranges of 1.0–1.8°C and 3.3–5.7°C.
Cites1
- Verified
Paris pledges as of 2024 give a 66% chance of keeping warming under 2.8 °C by 2100.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 explicitly gives a 66% chance of remaining below 2.8°C under Paris pledges as of 2024. / Wikipedia says 2024 Paris pledges imply a 66% chance of staying under 2.8°C.
Cites1
- Verified
A 2026 UNEP report found about 1.8 °C to be the best outcome on the current trajectory.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 4 describes about 1.8°C as the best outcome on the current emissions trajectory; source 8 corroborates the reporting. / 2026 reporting on the UNEP report says about 1.8°C is the best current-trajectory outcome.
- Verified
Overshooting 1.5 °C was described as unavoidable in reporting on the 2026 UNEP report.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 8 explicitly describes overshooting the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal as unavoidable. / Guardian reporting on the 2026 UNEP assessment calls 1.5°C overshoot unavoidable.
Cites8
- Verified
The Royal Society states precise decade-by-decade temperature estimates are impossible partly because future emissions cannot be predicted.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 5 says precise decade-by-decade estimates are impossible, partly because future human CO2 emissions cannot be predicted. / Royal Society says decade-scale forecasts are impossible partly because future emissions are unpredictable.
Cites5
- Disputed
The CBO says some climate projections are incomplete, inconsistent or unreliable because projected warming is unprecedented.
Published with attribution: the checkers split.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Not supported
Source 10's excerpt omits the subject described as incomplete, inconsistent, or unreliable; it explicitly attributes unquantifiable uncertainties to projections. / CBO says some projections are incomplete, inconsistent, or unreliable because warming lacks historical precedent.
Cites10
- Verified
The WHO expects about 250,000 additional deaths per year between 2030 and 2050 due to climate change.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 2 attributes approximately 250,000 additional annual deaths during 2030–2050 to WHO estimates. / UN cites WHO’s estimate of about 250,000 additional deaths yearly from 2030 to 2050.
Cites2
- Verified
The World Economic Forum projects 14.5 million additional deaths by 2050 due to climate change.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 attributes the projected 14.5 million additional deaths by 2050 to the World Economic Forum. / Wikipedia cites the World Economic Forum expecting 14.5 million more deaths by 2050.
Cites1
- Verified
Tropical cyclone frequency has not increased as a result of climate change.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 explicitly states that climate change has not increased tropical cyclone frequency. / Wikipedia states tropical-cyclone frequency has not increased because of climate change.
Cites1
- Verified
Sea level rise reached 4.8 cm per decade between 2014 and 2023.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 gives a sea-level-rise rate of 4.8 cm per decade during 2014–2023. / Wikipedia says sea-level rise reached 4.8 cm per decade in 2014–2023.
Cites1
- Verified
Renewables represented 86% of new electricity generation installed in 2023.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 explicitly reports renewables accounting for 86% of new electricity generation installed in 2023. / Wikipedia says renewables were 86% of new electricity generation installed in 2023.
Cites1
- Verified
Carbon capture and storage removes around 0.1% of annual greenhouse gas emissions.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 states that deployed carbon capture and storage removes around 0.1% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. / Wikipedia says deployed CCS removes around 0.1% of annual greenhouse-gas emissions.
Cites1
- Verified
As of August 2026, 194 states and the EU had joined the Paris Agreement.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 explicitly reports 194 states and the European Union having acceded to or ratified the agreement by August 2026. / Wikipedia says that as of August 2026, 194 states and the EU had joined Paris.
Cites1
- Verified
The Paris Agreement aims to keep warming well below 2 °C with a stretch goal of 1.5 °C.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 4 gives the Paris Agreement's well-below-2°C objective and 1.5°C stretch goal. / Nature describes Paris’s well-below-2°C aim and 1.5°C stretch goal.
Cites4
- Verified
The Montreal Protocol may have avoided 0.5–1.0 °C of warming.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 states that the Montreal Protocol may have avoided 0.5–1.0°C of warming. / Wikipedia says the Montreal Protocol may have avoided 0.5–1.0°C of warming.
Cites1
- Verified
Oxfam found the wealthiest 10% were responsible for 50% of global emissions in 2023.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 attributes the stated 2023 emissions share of the wealthiest 10% to Oxfam. / Wikipedia cites Oxfam finding the richest 10% caused 50% of 2023 global emissions.
Cites1
- Verified
Yale classifies 28% of Americans as Alarmed and 11% as Dismissive.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 7 gives 28% as Alarmed and 11% as Dismissive. / Yale source classifies 28% as Alarmed and 11% as Dismissive.
Cites7
- Verified
54% of U.S. adults call climate change a major threat, including 78% of Democrats and 23% of Republicans.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 11 reports all three percentages, with political categories including party-leaning independents. / Pew reports 54% overall, 78% of Democrats, and 23% of Republicans.
Cites11
- Verified
31% of U.S. adults favour completely phasing out fossil fuels while 68% favour a mix.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 11 gives 31% supporting a complete fossil fuel phaseout and 68% supporting a mixed energy supply. / Pew reports 31% favor a full fossil-fuel phaseout and 68% favor a mix.
Cites11
- Disputed
Ideological division over climate change is strongest in the USA and Anglophone countries.
Published with attribution: the checkers split.
- Grok 4.7:Not supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 9 states that the phenomenon is strongest in the USA and stronger in Anglophone countries generally. / Excerpt says an undefined phenomenon is strongest in the USA; it does not explicitly identify ideological division.
Cites9
- Verified
A 2024 survey across 125 countries found 89% wanted intensified political action.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 reports a 2024 survey across 125 countries finding 89% demanding intensified political action. / Wikipedia cites a 2024 survey of 125 countries finding 89% wanted stronger political action.
Cites1
- Verified
Eunice Newton Foote demonstrated in 1856 that CO2 increases the Sun's warming effect on air.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 describes Foote's 1856 demonstration of stronger solar warming with carbon dioxide. / Wikipedia says Foote showed in 1856 that CO2 increases the Sun’s warming effect on air.
Cites1
- Verified
Expert elicitation found climate change's role in armed conflict small relative to inequality and state capability.
- Grok 4.7:Supported
- GPT-6.1 Sol:Supported
Source 1 reports expert elicitation finding climate change's conflict contribution small compared with socioeconomic inequality and state capabilities. / Wikipedia says expert elicitation found climate’s conflict role small versus inequality and state capability.
Cites1
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Written by Claude Opus 5.5 from the sources listed and checked claim by claim by GPT-6.1 Sol and Grok 4.7.