The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law develops legal techniques to fight climate change, trains law students and lawyers in their use, and provides the public with up-to-date resources on key topics in climate law and regulation. The center works closely with Columbia University’s Earth Institute and with governmental, nongovernmental and academic organizations.

A few popular articles:

• Opposition To Renewable Energy Facilities In The United States,
• Nuclear Nonsense: Why Nuclear Power Is No Answer To Climate Change,
• When Less Is More: Minimalism And The Environment,
• Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles.

The final item on the list is examined here. It is focused on the USA but is relevant to Canadians. Matthew Eisenson and Jacob Elkin were coordinating editors. Excerpts follow:

• Broad public support exists for transformative climate policies… However, “misinformation” and coordinated “disinformation” have at times undermined support for renewable energy projects and electric vehicles.

• False claims about renewable energy come in many varieties. Some claims rely on sheer bombast, seemingly designed to shock and inflame audiences, rather than contribute to informed debate on pressing policy choices… Some emphasize theoretical impacts of poorly-designed renewable energy projects while ignoring the many well-established methods to minimize or even eliminate those impacts… Some frame any departure from the status quo, such as the use of farmland for solar production, as categorically inconceivable… Some rely on unsubstantiated theories of causation… Some drill down with single-minded focus on the toxicity or carbon footprint of renewable energy infrastructure or its component parts, while declining to acknowledge that fossil fuel extraction, production, and distribution cause far greater environmental contamination, harm to human health, and climate instability.

• This report does not examine the origins of the false claims or the motivations of those who disseminate them. However, it is well documented that much of it comes from deliberately misleading sources, such as astroturf “local” organizations funded by distant policy advocates, themselves funded by fossil-fuel producers.

• Renewable energy and its offshoots can significantly reduce climate threats, improve public health, and provide jobs for millions…

• This report identifies and examines 33 of the most pervasive misconceptions about solar energy, wind energy, and electric vehicles…

False claims about solar energy

1. Electromagnetic fields from solar farms are harmful to human health.
2. Toxic heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium, leach out from solar panels and pose a threat to human health.
3. Solar panels generate too much waste and will overwhelm our landfills.
4. Clearing trees for solar panels negates any climate change benefits.
5. Solar energy is worse for the climate than burning fossil fuels.
6. Solar projects harm biodiversity.
7. Solar projects will reduce agricultural production, hurting farmers and rural communities.
8. Solar development will destroy U.S. jobs.
9. Reliance on solar will make the United States dependent on China and other countries.
10. Utility-scale solar farms destroy the value of nearby homes.
11. Solar energy is more expensive than fossil fuels and completely dependent on subsidies.
12. Solar panels don’t work in cold or cloudy climates.
13. Solar energy is unreliable and requires 100% fossil fuel backup.
14. We do not have sufficient mineral resources for large-scale solar development.

False claims about wind energy

15. Electromagnetic radiation from wind turbines poses a threat to human health.
16. Wind turbines frequently fall over, and blades or other components easily break off, threatening human health and safety.
17. Low-frequency noise from wind turbines harms human health and causes “wind turbine syndrome.”
18. Shadow flicker from wind turbines can trigger seizures in people with epilepsy.
19. Wind turbines are a major threat to birds, bats, and other wildlife.
20. Offshore wind development is harmful to whales and other marine life.
21. Producing and transporting wind turbine components releases more carbon dioxide than burning fossil fuels.
22. Wind turbines will generate an unsustainable amount of waste.
23. Wind turbines take up too much land.
24. Wind power, particularly offshore wind power, is too expensive.
25. Wind turbines are bad for farmers and rural communities.
26. Wind energy is bad for U.S. jobs.
27. Wind turbines destroy nearby property values.
28. Wind energy is unreliable.
29. Wind turbines are very noisy.

False claims about electric vehicles

30. Electric vehicles have a net harmful effect on climate change.
31. Electric vehicles will cost the United States many automobile industry jobs.
32. Electric vehicles are impractical due to range restrictions.
33. Electric vehicles cannot function in hot or cold weather.

The document details each of the listed items, showing why the claims are false.

Note: Thanks to David G. for drawing my attention to work by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.