Clarify Claims

Archives: FAQs

  • Is rising crime caused by lenient punishment?

    Is rising crime caused by lenient punishment? 1) What kind of claim is this? This is a cause-and-effect claim linking crime rates to punishment levels. 2) What context is assumed or missing? Data on crime trends and sentencing changes is not described. 3) What has to be true for this to work? Reduced punishment would…

  • Is plastic production the main solution to pollution?

    Is plastic production the main solution to pollution? 1) What kind of claim is this? This is a responsibility and reduction claim. 2) What context is assumed or missing? Evidence of blame shifting and production impact is not detailed. 3) What has to be true for this to work? Production levels would need to drive…

  • What drives plastic pollution — behaviour or manufacturing?

    What drives plastic pollution — behaviour or manufacturing? 1) What kind of claim is this? This is a root-cause attribution claim. 2) What context is assumed or missing? Production volumes and waste systems are not described. 3) What has to be true for this to work? Disposal habits would need to drive most leakage into…

  • Is litter solved by cleanup or social change?

    Is litter solved by cleanup or social change? 1) What kind of claim is this? This is a behavioural root-cause claim. 2) What context is assumed or missing? Evidence about cleanup impact is not described. 3) What has to be true for this to work? Behaviour change would need to reduce littering more than cleanup…

  • Can prison litter picking solve litter?

    Can prison litter picking solve litter? 1) What kind of claim is this? This is a policy solution claim. 2) What context is assumed or missing? The scale of littering and prison labour capacity is not described. 3) What has to be true for this to work? Prisoner labour would need to match the scale…

  • Do lithium mining harms make EV batteries a poor climate solution?

    Do lithium mining harms make EV batteries a poor climate solution? 1) What kind of claim is this? This is a negative evaluation based on upstream harm. 2) What context is assumed or missing? The scale of mining impacts compared to lifetime emissions is not detailed. 3) What has to be true for this to…

  • Will retirement be impossible for most millennials?

    Will retirement be impossible for most millennials? 1) What kind of claim is this? This is a broad future-outcome claim with stated causes. 2) What context is assumed or missing? Definitions of retirement, location, and time horizon are not stated. 3) What has to be true for this to work? Wages would need to lag…

  • Does money expansion inevitably cause hyperinflation?

    Does money expansion inevitably cause hyperinflation? 1) What kind of claim is this? This is an inevitability claim about economic outcomes. 2) What context is assumed or missing? Country, time frame, and current inflation conditions are not specified. 3) What has to be true for this to work? New money would need to outpace real…

  • Is the housing market about to crash from debt and valuations?

    Is the housing market about to crash from debt and valuations? 1) What kind of claim is this? This is a prediction claim with a stated cause. 2) What context is assumed or missing? Location, time window, and key indicators are not defined. 3) What has to be true for this to work? Debt levels…

  • Is teen anxiety at an all-time high and showing decline?

    Is teen anxiety at an all-time high and showing decline? 1) What kind of claim is this? This is a trend claim linked to a broad conclusion about decline. 2) What context is assumed or missing? How anxiety is measured over time is not described. 3) What has to be true for this to work?…