4MIN News December 1, 2013: Earthquake Uptick & Spaceweather

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TEPCO Downplays Huge Risks Involved in Removing Fukushima Fuel Rods

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Major Corporations Employ Former U.S. Intelligence Agents As Spies

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Noam Chomsky “Public Broadcasting Vs Corporate Media”

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Father Patrick Ryan on the Pope’s economic vision

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Successful Launch Of China’s First Attempt To Land A Spacecraft On The Moon

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USA Today Lets Go Top Climate Reporter, Embraces Confusionist Bjorn Lomborg

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/11/24/2981781/bjorn-lomborg-climate-action-poor-countries/

By Joe Romm on November 24, 2013 at 11:41 am

“USA Today Lets Go Top Climate Reporter, Embraces Confusionist Bjorn Lomborg”

Photograph by Claire Martin for Bloomberg Businessweek

Bjorn Lomborg has a plan to help poor low-lying countries from Kiribati (featured above) to Bangladesh threatened by rising seas and worsening storm surges. Delay real climate action, but invest in R&D to develop artificial floating islands for them to live on.

OK, that isn’t literally his plan, but it is figuratively. Lomborg argues that: 1) there is a trade-off between efforts to fight poverty and efforts to fight climate and 2) the best way to fight climate change is to let emissions keep rising while spending gazillions of public dollars on R&D.

Both are false. When unrestricted carbon pollution forces tens of millions of people to flee rising seas and Dust-Bowlification, who do you think will suffer the most — the rich or the poor? Worse, when unrestricted carbon pollution makes it all but impossible to feed 9 billion people post-2050, who is going to suffer the most malnutrition — the rich or the poor? One analysis just of the impact of temperature rise on food security finds “Half of world’s population could face climate-driven food crisis by 2100.” Which half of the population do you think will be in crisis, the richer or poorer?

But the sub-hed in Lomborg’s latest USA Today op-ed asserts, “The recent storm in Philippines was not a result of global warming, but about poverty.”

No, I’m not going to link to the piece because the only possible reason USA Today keeps running op-eds from someone as widely debunked as Lomborg is to get page views. Worse, while the paper is embracing Lomborg, they have let go one of the top climate reporters in the country, Dan Vergano. That’s the worst trade since the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees for $100,000.

For Lomborg, climate change doesn’t actually cause the climate to change or raise sea levels or anything that might make extreme weather events more and more devastating the longer we ignore the problem. For a good response from actual scientists, see the UK Guardian piece on super typhoon Haiyan by Dana Nuccitelli and John Abraham, which explains, “The strongest hurricanes are becoming stronger, fueled by warmer oceans caused by climate change.”

…(read more).

Global Climate Change http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre130
Environmental Justice http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre145
Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120
Media

CNN accused of censorship

RT America

Published on Nov 29, 2013

The Russian ambassador to the United Nations claims that CNN censored his interview with Christiane Amanpour. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin says the news network made significant cuts to the lengthy interview that aired Tuesday night. The interview that aired cut out most of his comments on the situation in Syria, Churkin said. “The Amanpour team conducted a lengthy interview, making it clear that it was taped and would be cut down for length and time on-air. This is normal practice for taped interviews. We would never do anything to an interview that would alter its meaning,” CNN said in a statement. RT’s Meghan Lopez talks with Georgetown journalism professor Chris Chambers about the controversy, and whether or not the controversy will help the network’s flagging ratings.

Environmental Justice http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre145
Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120

Media

2013: CNN’s Worst Year Ever

RT America

Published on Nov 30, 2013

CNN is having their worst year ever. Their ratings have dropped 48 percent since November of last year. And for the important demographic of viewers aged 25 to 54, these ratings have decreased 59 percent. Taking a look at their competitors, MSNBC’s rating have dropped 45 percent since November 2012, and 52 percent for the 25-to 54-year-old demographic. Fox News Channel only saw a 18 percent drop in viewership since last November, and the 25-to-54 demographic is down 30 percent. Some believe CNN needs to spice things up. Could bikini babes be the next step for CNN? Mike Babone, the creator and executive producer of Bare Essentials News, says, “They need to fight Fox News with fire — hot anchors with hotter news anchors And they have to be journalism’s elite.”

Global Climate Change http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre130
Environmental Justice http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre145
Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120

Media

BBC NEWS – Climate change fight ‘moral duty’ – 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_politics/4932988.stm
Saturday, 22 April 2006, 11:47 GMT 12:47 UK

Climate change fight ‘moral duty’

Chancellor Gordon Brown
Hear the interview
The developed world has a moral duty to tackle climate change, Chancellor Gordon Brown has said.

But he has resisted calls for higher fuel taxes, saying that high oil prices are enough of a burden for motorists.

The comments come as world oil prices reached record levels and UK drivers were warned the cost of petrol could reach its previous high, 96.1p a litre.

Speaking after talks in the US, he also warned that rising oil prices may threaten global economic stability.

On Friday in New York the price of a barrel of oil reached a record high of $75 (£42).

We can as individuals make a difference in the way we behave and use the environment
Gordon Brown

Mr Brown said the price increases were partly down to growing demand, particularly in Asia.

This has fuelled speculation that the prices at the pumps could rise and remain high throughout the summer.

Petrol retailers said prices were unlikely to top the £1 mark but predicted an “uncomfortable” period for motorists and road hauliers.

Mr Brown said the climate change issue was an ethical one, in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“If it is affecting both our habitat and environment and affecting those people who are dependent on that environment the most – and that is poor people in poor countries – then this has got to be looked at, not just as an economic issue but a social issue.

“And you could therefore say that it’s got an ethical dimension as well.”

….(read more).

Global Climate Change http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre130
Environmental Justice http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre145
Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120