Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog: Catastrophe Catnip
Journalists are drawn to the notion that greenhouse gas emissions increase the human toll from extreme events like Ulysses was drawn to the sirens. The connection between the two is made despite a robust scientific consensus -- and lack of evidence to the contrary -- that no signal beyond increasing societal vulnerability has been detected in increasing disaster losses, much less attributed to the effects of accumulating greenhouse gases.

A particularly egregious example of this sort of journalism comes from Time's Bryan Walsh...
What Happened to Democrats' Energy, Climate Change Legislation Plans? | PBS NewsHour | Aug. 9, 2010 | PBS
DARREN SAMUELSOHN: Well, the politics of it are difficult. It's hard to sell this on American -- to the American public. The idea of a cap-and-trade, which is ultimately what is at the center of this, is very complicated and difficult to explain to Americans.

The Republicans have a pretty good talking point with, it's a national energy tax, that they swing back with. So for -- the response from the Obama administration's side and from the Democrats' side is a little bit more longer, a little bit more -- it goes on into national security issues.
Environment: Autumn may be delayed after cold winter - experts - Yorkshire Evening Post
After a cold winter and a late spring, autumn could also be delayed this year with berries ripening and leaves turning later than usual, wildlife experts said today.

1 comment:

MikeSnow said...

"The idea of a cap-and-trade, which is ultimately what is at the center of this, is very complicated and difficult to explain to Americans."

I happened [a rarity] to watch the NewsHour yesterday. The thrust of it that this failed 'cause we are too dumb and politics is complicated and they completely ignored key events, like Climgategate and the failed science.

I had not watched much PBS since last fall when their propaganda campaign leading up to Copenhagen included this gem by their 'reporter,' Margaret Warner: that "this huge team of scientists from all over the globe issued these unanimous warnings about the really extreme danger to the planet."

People need to contact the PBS Ombudsman and complain about slanted stories like this.