Would we be doing more to save the planet from global warming if we had better phrasing? Jonathan Watts asks that question at The Guardian when he notes that the only time that governments have been able to overcome their pettiness was when scientists warned about an unexpected “hole in the ozone layer.” It seemed [...]
Category Archive for 'Media'
Illusions of Superiority, the Dunning-Kruger Effect, and Global Warming
Posted in Activism, Astroturfing, Media, Politics on Sep 20th, 2009
This video explains why scientifically-illiterate scallywags* like Anthony Watts don’t understand climate science and never will. I could include links to dozens sites like CO2 Sceptic, the Global Warming Hoax, but I’d prefer not to give them the traffic. This fantastic video was created by Theramin Trees! _______ * I’m one day late for Talk [...]
API’s Astroturfing Campaign Draws Greenpeace’s Ire
Posted in Activism, Astroturfing, Media, Politics on Aug 20th, 2009
God bless Greenpeace. Faced with a multimillion dollar media juggernaut devised by the American Petroleum Institute (API), Greenpeace countered with simplicity and honesty: A grassroots campaign that speaks the truth to power, and turns up the heat on oil executives. To cut to the chase, last week Greenpeace came to possess an API memo that [...]
Bonner & Associates + ACCCE: More Forgeries Found
Posted in Astroturfing, Media, Old King Coal, Politics, USA on Aug 18th, 2009
All I can think of is that old line from Get Smart, the classic television series. If only he had used his powers for niceness instead of evil. This story is about the hardest working man (or woman) in DC. It’s none other than that single employee at Bonner & Associates who was deemed too [...]
The Death of Literature
Posted in Activism, Climate Change Consequences, Climate Change Science, Media, Social Justice on Apr 22nd, 2009
Imagine our world without literature. Whenever I can cobble moments together, I write. It’s my first, best thing. I have a middle reader under development that will be a pretty good book once I commit the final chapter to paper. It’s what I do with every stolen minute as we struggle through bankruptcy. I write [...]
Big Tobacco, Big Oil, Big Coal
Posted in Activism, Astroturfing, Global Warming Myths, Greenwashing, Media on Apr 21st, 2009
I often write that the science supporting global warming is every bit as strong as the science that proves smoking causes cancer. But I then go even further by linking the fossil fuel and tobacco industries, suggesting deeper sins, claiming that oil companies actually stole a page from the tobacco industry by hiring right-wing and [...]
Earth Hour
Posted in Climate Change Consequences, Media on Mar 27th, 2009
Don’t forget. Earth Hour is Saturday, March 28, 2009 — between 8:30 and 9:30 pm in your time zone. Turn out the lights, shut off the power. Light candles. Be quiet and still. Spend the hour with your family. Connect with each other, share stories. Talk. And then get angry. Get informed. We are staring [...]
Life & Death
Posted in Climate Change Consequences, Media, Politics on Feb 10th, 2009
A few months ago, I was debating Canada’s sorry record on global warming on a CBC message board with dozens of people from across the country. As I wrote, a hurricane was bearing down on Nova Scotia. Several people raged at me, arguing that I was way off topic; I was told that this story [...]
Rex Murphy wins the first-ever Double Dumb Ass Award
Posted in Double Dumb Ass Award, Global Warming Myths, Media on Jan 12th, 2009
Every so often at One Blue Marble, we’re going to present the Climate Change Double Dumb Ass Award to the man or woman who does something really moronic during the previous week. Truth to tell, every seven days brings dozens of potential winners… Politicians who put personal gain before the welfare of their constituents… Columnists [...]