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The recently concluded( Between November 30 to December 12,2023 ) COP28 summit marked a significant milestone with numerous positive decisions aimed at fostering the betterment of the planet. However, amidst these commendable efforts, there has been a concerning surge in misinformation targeting and undermining the outcomes of COP28. In response to this, our investigation delves into one specific piece of information to shed light on its accuracy and context.
Social Media Posts
A video circulated during the 2023 UN climate summit, with a video depicting a plane in wintry conditions going viral on social media. The misleading claims suggested that the aircraft, purportedly bound for the Dubai conference, had “frozen” on the runway, casting doubt on climate change.
We decided to do a fact check on this.
Fact Check
Actual Circumstances Revealed by Records:
Airline records and flight trackers revealed that the plane in question was not in flight but had tipped over due to heavy snowfall. This evidence dispels the baseless claims about the aircraft freezing on its way to the Dubai climate conference.Deatails can be read here and here
December 2, an article from the German aviation news portal aeroTelegraph reported that a Cessna Citation X business jet owned by Austrian carrier Bairline had tipped over due to the weight of snow. The incident reportedly occurred in an aircraft, which had been stationed in Munich since November 15, 2023, was confirmed by Bairline pilot and sales manager Nico said AFP . However, Just asserted on December 4 that the jet was not intended for travel to the climate conference in Dubai, emphasizing that it had been parked in Munich and had not been frozen, despite having tipped over before being subsequently righted.Related AFP fact check can be read here
Clarification from Climate Scientists:
Contrary to the false narrative, climate scientists emphasized that isolated incidents of snowstorms do not negate the overwhelming consensus that the Earth’s temperature has been consistently rising at an unprecedented rate. Omar Baddour, the head of climate monitoring and policy for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), affirmed that such snow incidents do not contradict expectations from climate change.An article published sometime ago can be reached here
Climate Change and Extreme Weather:
Baddour explained that globally, extreme low temperatures are becoming less frequent due to climate change. He highlighted that climate change, characterized by warmer oceans leading to increased evaporation and atmospheric moisture, actually makes such events more likely.
Scientific Consensus on Climate Change:
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) declared in its 2021 report that human influence unequivocally warms the atmosphere, ocean, and land. The report warned that the world is on a trajectory to surpass a critical warming threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the early 2030s.
Recent Statement from Copernicus Climate Change Service:
Just after the conclusion of COP28, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service proclaimed in December that 2023 was expected to be the hottest year on record. Data from ice cores and tree rings indicated that it could potentially be the warmest in over 100,000 years.
Conclusion:
In summary, the viral claims about a plane freezing on its way to the Dubai climate conference are baseless, and the incident does not undermine the scientific consensus on climate change. The evidence provided by airline records, climate scientists, and authoritative climate organizations refutes the misinformation circulating on social media.
