The Today Show goes to The Ends of the Earth to cover Global Warming
in Civic, Education, Environment, International. Tags: Al Gore, antarctica, arctic circle, environment, equator, global warming, today show.
This morning the Today Show went to the ends of the earth – literally – to cover global warming. The coverage was excellent and can be seen online. There was an live interview with Al Gore. Among the many things he touched upon, Gore made an excellent point about media coverage of global warming. He said part of the problem of telling the story of climate change is journalism’s determination to give equal time to people who have opposing viewpoints with people who are “way outside the scientific consensus. It’s the old ‘on the one hand, on the other hand’ approach,” Gore said. “There are still people who believe the earth is flat. [But] you don’t search out for someone who believes the earth is flat and give them equal time.”
The Today website has wide ranging coverage on going green: lowering your carbon footprint, eco-friendly tips on changing your diet, your kitchen, giving up plastic water bottles, the wonders of bamboo, etc. Well worth exploring.
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Gives me chills
I've been watching this coverage all week (I do, for the record, consider watching TV to be part of my job, I have to know what's going on in the media and pop culture, right? And the Sarah Silverman Program is totally relevant to my job as Editor-In-Chief of JC, i swear!)
I am thrilled at the coverage the Today Show is giving to these issues. But, it still reads more like travelogue to me, than an empowering call to action. As beautiful as it is, and it is beautiful, I still don't have a sense that there is anything I can really do.....
There was a good segment yesterday about little things to do around the house, 7 Ways to Help The Planet: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21601409/ Most of it is pretty simple, but is not stuff that I bother to do.
Things like unplug the labyrinth of charging cords behind my desk (actually, behind every counter and shelf) when i'm not using them. Wash clothes in cold water (and, I dunno, maybe hang them back up after wearing them, once, rather than throwing them in the mound on the chair by the bathroom and eventually just washing them again because it delays having to put them away.)
There's a lot we can do. This NBC Coverage is beautiful, but I just think we need more "rules." We need to be told what to do, and then be given really easy ways to do it.
But, I want to go to the Arctic Circle. Anyone wanna go with me?