Tag Archives: Climatology

CNBC Isn’t Reporting the Facts, But You Can


Media Matters for America
In June, Media Matters released a report showing that business news channel CNBC had cast doubt on science in more than half of its 2013 climate change coverage. [1] As the first analysis of its kind, the report was a wake-up call: by regularly denying climate science, CNBC was falling short of its core mission of providing “fast, accurate, actionable, [and] unbiased” business news to its viewers.

Environmental groups mobilized in response to the findings, collecting 42,000 signatures urging CNBC to improve its climate reporting. [2]

Four months after first sounding the alarm, Media Matters conducted a follow-up study to see if CNBC had adjusted its coverage. [3] Remarkably, we found that climate denial at the network actually increased, rising from 51 percent to 55 percent of climate reporting. Worse, one-third of the segments that did accurately report the science occurred during a limited “special week of climate coverage” on Worldwide Exchange, which airs at 4 AM ET. [4]

Help us let CNBC viewers know that they aren’t getting all the facts.

Scientists overwhelmingly agree that climate change exists, and more and more businesses are deciding that they can’t afford to wait and see. According to a recent study, more than 70 percent of companies think climate change can significantly affect their revenues—and many are already hedging against the risk. [5] In fact, businesses are becoming leading climate advocates: more than 650 major U.S. companies have already signed a letter calling for stronger federal clean energy laws [6], and just last month, nearly two dozen leading U.S. businesses announced support for carbon pollution standards proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency for new power plants. [7]

In business, there’s a clear trend toward taking climate science seriously—but on CNBC, there’s a clear trend toward dismissing and distorting it. As a network that prides itself on serving the information needs of the business community, CNBC is failing its viewers and damaging its reputation by rejecting science.

Last month, we sent a letter to CNBC, offering to help develop a plan to gradually improve its climate reporting. The network dismissed this outreach.

CNBC is ignoring scientists and media watchdogs, so it’s time to bring the truth to an audience it can’t ignore: its viewers.

CNBC has had multiple opportunities to address its climate denial problem, but has only let it get worse. At this point, the network can no longer claim ignorance: CNBC is intentionally misleading its viewers about climate change, and it needs to stop.

To push back, Media Matters will charter a fleet of fuel-efficient mobile billboards to blanket major U.S. financial districts with ads calling out CNBC for denying climate science.

Can you chip in $5 to help fund a billboard?

With your participation, we can scale up our efforts to expose the bad business of CNBC’s climate denial to the viewers that determine its bottom line.

Cynthia Padera
Campaigns Manager
Media Matters for America

—–

[1] REPORT: CNBC’s Climate Denial Is Bad For Business http://mm4a.org/12GKKLW

[2] Environmentalists Deliver 42,000-Signature Petition For Better Climate Coverage To CNBC Headquarters http://mm4a.org/1dE9gSI

[3] REPORT: CNBC Still Deeply In (Climate) Denial http://mm4a.org/1doZkKa

[4] After Petition, CNBC Unveils A “Special Week Of Climate Coverage” http://mm4a.org/156wbkn

[5] Carbon Disclosure Project and Accenture: “Reducing risk and driving business value” https://www.cdproject.net/en-US/News/CDP%20News%20Article%20Pages/major-climate-threat-to-global-supply-chains.aspx

[6] CERES: Major U.S. Companies Call For Climate Change Action http://www.ceres.org/press/press-releases/major-u.s.-companies-call-for-climate-change-action

[7] CERES: Major U.S. Companies and Investors Support Carbon Pollution Standards for New Power Plants http://www.ceres.org/press/press-releases/major-u.s.-companies-and-investors-support-carbon-pollution-standards-for-new-power-plants

Congress has got a real nasty habit


Right now, way too many lawmakers in Washington flat-out refuse to face the facts when it comes to climate change.

We’re never going to make real progress on this issue unless members of Congress get serious. Instead, some of them have made a habit of publicly mocking it.

We thought it was time to call them out for denying what’s basic science.

Denying climate change keeps us from finding a solution. Watch this.

The science matters in this.

That’s the message way too many people in Washington need to hear right now.

In 2011, there were 240 members of Congress who voted to say that climate change is a hoax.

Most of them are still around today, and they’re getting away with it — some of them are actually proud of it. They think the whole debate is pretty funny.

If we want to make progress on climate change, we need everyone in Congress on board for a solution. It’s our job to show them there’s a price to pay for being a climate denier.

Take a look at this video above and join the fight:

 

Get ready — more on this coming soon.

Thanks,

Jon

Jon Carson
Executive Director
Organizing for Action
@JonCarsonOFA

Support Union of Concerned Scientists


Union of Concerned Scientists

Dr. Ekwurzel editing WSJ op-edSee UCS climate scientist Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel correct the climate science inaccuracies on a six-foot-tall Wall Street Journal op-ed.

Read More

Fighting Misinformation about Climate Science

Fox News Channel and the Wall Street Journal Opinion pages are overwhelmingly misleading when it comes to climate science. Not surprised? When UCS reviewed references to climate science in those two news outlets, we found it was even worse than we thought.
Our snapshot analysis shows that over a six-month period at Fox News Channel, 93 percent of the references to climate science were misleading. In one year on the Wall Street Journal Opinion pages, 81 percent of the references were misleading.
Last month, we released the findings of this snapshot analysis at a series of events in New York City, finishing the day by delivering nearly 20,000 comments from UCS supporters to the headquarters of News Corporation, which owns Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, asking them to stop failing science and improve how they represent climate science.
Watch the video of UCS climate scientist Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel correcting the climate science inaccuracies on a six-foot tall Wall Street Journal op-ed in Bryant Park.

She and other UCS staff were joined by dozens of UCS supporters who stamped the op-ed “Not Science” and filled out postcards to News Corp.
Thank you to everyone who took action and spread the word about our findings.

If you haven’t yet, please be sure you ask News Corp. to stop failing science!
Sincerely, JeanSideris_jpg

Jean Sideris Outreach Coordinator Climate & Energy Program Union of Concerned Scientists

The Climate Reality Project


The Climate Reality Project

Do you think schools should teach our children that climate change isn’t real?
Of course not. But the Heartland Institute, an organization known for giving a microphone to climate science deniers, now wants to bring this false message into America‘s classrooms.
As its President and CEO just admitted, Heartland is writing a “global warming curriculum” that would say climate science isn’t settled. Heartland would like to create the appearance of a scientific debate where there is none by having our teachers claim we just don’t know if humans are changing our climate.
Fortunately, one brave high school student is asking the Heartland Institute to stop. And I hope you will too.
Tell the Heartland Institute to cease and desist its plan to bring fake science into our schools. And watch our eye-opening video to learn more.

Tell the Heartland Institute to cease and desist

As you know, the science behind climate change is not controversial — it is reality. It is the height of irresponsibility to urge our schools to teach something known to be untrue — just as it is wrong to teach our children that gravity is not real or nicotine is not addictive.
As its own budget documents reveal, the Heartland Institute is funded by oil and coal companies with a financial interest in denying climate science. But I think you’ll agree this industry-funded propaganda has no place in our schools.
Corey Husic is a high school student who knows there is no place for a climate denial curriculum in school. He and many others are asking that Heartland immediately “cease and desist” its plan to bring climate denial into our schools. And today, I invite you to sign this petition as well.
Scientists know that climate change is happening, and we are beginning to see the impacts with our own eyes. This debate is a distraction. Deniers are trying to prevent us from engaging in a much more fruitful discussion over what we can do to solve the climate crisis.
We’ve created a short video to help you learn more about this urgent issue. I encourage you to watch this video now, and sign the petition to keep climate reality in America’s science classrooms.
Tell the Heartland Institute to end its plans for a climate denial curriculum. And watch our video to learn more.
http://forms.climaterealityproject.org/heartlandinstitute

Thanks for all you do,
Maggie L. Fox President and CEO The Climate Reality Project

Donate

Who stands up for science? UCS does. Will you join us?


Right now we’re witnessing an all-out war on science, the environment, and human health.

“I think that the science is inconclusive on this. I personally believe that the solar flares are more responsible for climatic cycles than anything that human beings do.”

—Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R WI), new vice chair of the House Science Committee

A number of irresponsible corporations are spending millions to deceive the public about climate change science. Media personalities are spreading false information and discrediting scientists. And many elected officials are not only blocking efforts to address America’s energy and climate crises—they’re also threatening to roll back many of the hard-fought human health and environmental protections we’ve won in the last few years!

“I think that the science is inconclusive on this. I personally believe that the solar flares are more responsible for climatic cycles than anything that human beings do.”

—Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R WI), new vice chair of the House Science Committee

You can help UCS expose and challenge attacks like this on science—become a member today.

Become a member of UCS today and join us in exposing and challenging these attacks on science and effective, life-saving public policies.

Politicians and media pundits who claim “global warming is a hoax”, that it’s just “sunspot activity,” or who accuse climate scientists of being “political hacks and leftists” can’t change the scientific evidence. The climate is changing and if we don’t take action there will be devastating consequences for our health, economy, and environment.

We must act now to stand up to vocal global warming deniers and advance science-based solutions that can rein in climate change. Please become a member of UCS today.

With your membership gift, UCS will work to:

Expose and challenge attacks on climate science and scientists;

Advocate for strong, science-based state and regional climate programs that can reduce heat-trapping emissions at the local level;

Push state utility commissions to shut down the oldest and dirtiest coal power plants; and

Continue to press the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce global warming emissions from cars, trucks, power plants, and other large industrial polluters.

Our opponents are well coordinated, well funded, and have a singular goal of protecting their own interests. If you’ve ever considered taking your support of our critical work to the next level—now is the time to do it. Please become a member of UCS today.

We may not have the deep pockets of the oil and coal industries and electric utilities who oppose progress on global warming and clean energy—but we do have scientific facts and dedicated supporters like you. I hope you’ll join us as a member today to ensure we can continue to challenge attacks on science and work for a healthy environment and a safer world.

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch

President

P.S. You can be confident your donations to UCS are spent wisely. We are accredited with the Better Business Bureau, have received four stars from Charity Navigator, and earned an ‘A’ rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy.