Disclosed

Michael Shellenberger

Founder of the newsletter Public; journalist

Claims listed
8
Checked
0 of 8
Video
1
Background checked
29 Sep 2026
How Michael Shellenberger's claims fared when checked

Our assessment

The site's assessmentChecked 29 Sep 2026

A real environmental-journalism career with an independently documented but contested accuracy record; his central UAP claim (Immaculate Constellation) rests on anonymous, unverifiable sourcing and has been directly denied on the record by the DoD.

Credentials

Verified credentials

  • Founder and writer, Public (Substack newsletter)
  • Co-founder and former president (2003-2015), Breakthrough Institute
  • Time magazine 'Hero of the Environment' (2008) and Green Book Award recipient
  • Master's degree in Anthropology, UC Santa Cruz; B.A., Earlham College (Peace and Global Studies), 1993
  • Founder/president, Environmental Progress
  • CBR Chair of Politics, Censorship and Free Speech, University of Austin

Unverified or disputed credentials

  • No formal training, credential, or professional standing in intelligence analysis, signals/sensor engineering, or defense-program classification was found; his UAP reporting relies on unnamed sources whose credentials he does not disclose and which cannot be independently checked

Expertise

Within their expertise

  • journalism/advocacy writing
  • environmental policy commentary

Topics outside their expertise

  • UAP sensor data authentication
  • classified special-access-program structure
  • aerospace/propulsion science

Claims by video

8
  • Unverified38:36Official document

    The Immaculate Constellation report describes UAP shapes including spheres, orbs, discs, saucers, ovals, triangles, boomerang, arrowhead, and irregular/organic forms.

    The report to Congress details in detail various UAPs including spheres, orbs, discs, saucers, ovals, triangles, boomerang, arrowhead and irregular organic.

  • Unverified39:38Secondhand

    The Immaculate Constellation report describes an incident in which orbs surrounded and drove an F-22 out of its patrol area.

    One involved orbs surrounding and [forcing] an F-22 out of its patrol area.

  • Unverified39:38Secondhand

    The crew of a Navy aircraft carrier watched a small orange-red sphere rapidly descend from 100-200 yards directly above the flight deck.

    The crew of a Navy aircraft carrier watched a small orange red sphere rapidly descend from a high altitude of 100 to 200 yards directly above the flight deck.

  • Unverified39:38Secondhand

    A second, separate source told Shellenberger about a roughly 13-minute high-definition color video, found on the classified SIPRNet, showing a white orb UAP emerging from the ocean about 20 miles off Kuwait, filmed from a helicopter, later joined briefly by a second orb.

    The person discovered the video on SIPR, the secure internet protocol router network which the DOD uses to transmit classified information.

  • Unverified40:39Official document

    The Naval Air Systems Command told FOIA researcher John Greenwald in March 2022 it had found no additional UAP videos beyond three; by September 2022 the Navy admitted UAP-related videos and photographs existed but denied release, citing sensitive-platform exemptions.

    The naval air systems command in March 2022 stated they found no additional UAP videos... then in September 2022 the Navy admitted that the UAP related videos and photographs existed but denied the request in full.

  • Unverified50:54Secondhand

    The Immaculate Constellation whistleblower report is credible because Shellenberger checked that the sources are who they claim to be and had the program name confirmed by more than one additional source, though he will not name them or their agency.

    I checked the sources and they are who they say they are; they are current or former government officials... I also had the name of the program confirmed by more than one additional source.

  • Unverified51:55Secondhand

    Immaculate Constellation holds hundreds, possibly thousands, of high-resolution UAP images, videos, and other sensor data collected by the US military and intelligence community over a long period.

    I've been told hundreds, you know, maybe thousands... there's very clear, high resolution [material], how many visuals, graphics, videos, photos.

  • Unverified1:14:21Secondhand

    Shellenberger's source told him, after his initial reporting, that the USAP (Immaculate Constellation) was managed by the Department of Defense but held at the White House; he has only one source for this and cannot verify it.

    I was told that this program, the USAP, was actually managed by the Department of Defense but held at the White House... but that's a single source and I don't have multiple sources to verify that.

Their video

1