DECONNEX, the disintegrator of Fake Fake News

Denis Cheynet claims that tree leaves are green. But is it really true?

On Thursday, November 19, Denis Cheynet, who holds no degree in botany, declared that tree leaves are green. His statement was made during peak viewing hours and without any opposing voice. “It’s a fact — I can see it with my own eyes,” he insisted. A statement that could cause widespread confusion among the French public. Let us explain.

Why is it not that simple?

Saying that tree leaves are green reveals Denis Cheynet’s total ignorance of the subject. Green is a complex concept that one must be able to grasp. In fact, there is an infinite range of greens across the chromatic scale. To speak of “green” without further specification is reductive and a clear sign of ultracrepidarianism on the part of Denis Cheynet.

We consulted Professor Schmol from the University of Sustainable and Ethical Development in Paris. He has documented 125,724 shades of green across 2,547 forests worldwide. Furthermore, some leaves can’t even be placed in the green domain of the color scale — they are primarily red, yellow, or even blue.

A meaningless claim in winter

Saying that leaves are green is misleading. What about autumn, when leaves turn russet, yellow, or orange? And what of winter, when most trees lose their foliage? Does it make any sense to claim that leaves are green when trees are completely bare? As Professor Schmol points out, one might speak of marcescence in some cases, but even then, the leaves that remain on branches through the winter are most often brown.

A statement that fuels conspiracy theories

Declaring that tree leaves are green — besides being vague and often false — is a manipulative statement that fuels conspiracy theories. It also fosters hatred against non-green leaves and eerily echoes Donald Trump's comment about the sky being blue. It is worth noting that, once again, it is a white man over 40 who makes such claims in defiance of what science teaches us. It’s surprising that statements like these don’t lead to legal action.

Vincent Seur, fact-checking specialist and member of the Committee of Objective Journalists