Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Write an article about how man-made carbon pollution could be having a detrimental effect on our upper atmosphere ... without using the phrases "climate change" or "global warming."
The news from NASA details how carbon pollution could be helping to shrink the thermosphere. But reporting on how carbon pollution is hurting our atmosphere without mentioning how it's also devastating our lower atmosphere through global warming ... well, that would be like reporting on a leaky roof without reporting the house is on fire ... right?
That's not stopping our contestants, because we have winners! CNN.com, UPI & Discovery News all win the Golden Ostrich for reporting on one problem without mentioning a directly connected, even bigger problem.
And what about blogs, which are supposed to see through the mainstream media's inadequate coverage & bring you the straight dope? Sorry, but Treehugger, Planet Save and Sustainability Ninja get Golden Parrots for simply re-writing the mainstream coverage without connecting the dots to climate.
Considering I'm heading to Netroots Nation in Las Vegas today, why am I bashing so many traditional & online reporters now? I may be setting myself to re-enact the tollbooth scene from The Godfather.
In all seriousness, it's a reminder that, as mainstream media layoffs lead to overworked/underpaid/overstressed reporters cranking stuff out as fast as they can, overworked/underpaid/overstressed bloggers cranking stuff out as fast as they can doesn't necessarily upgrade the public's knowledge.
I'm confused...I don't see that the scientists made any link to climate change--one even said the results are surprising even with increased CO2--so why would the bloggers? Wouldn't that just be bad reporting? They make it pretty clear it's an anomaly that is baffling scientists. I am sure as soon as the scientists come out and create a link to climate change, the blogs will talk about that. Creating scientific "fact" that isn't there is what I expect from big news outlets....I like when bloggers embrace the ambiguity of science.
ReplyDeletePS> Treehugger is owned by a huge corporation (Discovery), not exactly an indy blog.
BBB, my point is that I don't expect scientists working on a niche issue (carbon's impact on thermosphere) to connect the dots to a separate big picture issue (carbon's impact on climate). I do expect journalists to do that. None did here.
ReplyDelete