Global Climate Change and the Media: A Timeline

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Global Climate Change and the MediaA Timeline

• Tim Pelton
• SOLVE Office / Civic Engagement Center

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The End of the World (as we know it)

• The end of the world by fire or extreme heat can
  be found in some of the worlds earliest writings
  and continues today as the subject of newspapers
  documentaries, movies, radio broadcasts, on the
  internet and more.

Earliest Writings 1800s
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Awareness of Climate Effects

• In 1827 Jean-Baptiste Fourier predicts that
  atmospheric effects can keep the Earth warm using
  a greenhouse analogy and in 1863 John Tyndal
  publishes a paper showing water vapor to be a
  greenhouse gas. Scientists also begin to believe
  fossil fuel burning can cause warming.
• In the 1800s and Early 1900s stories about
  climatology begin to appear in newspapers.
• An awareness of industrialization and its effects
  begins to appear in the press.

1800s Early 1900s
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Notice of Warming

• The 1930s brings the depression to the USA and
  the Dust Bowl. Scientists believe it is a sign of
  greenhouse activity. From the 189os to 1940
  global temperature rises about ½ of one degree F.
• The Dust Bowls effects widely reported in the
  press and on the radio.
• Guy Stewart Callendar connects temperature rise
  to CO2 levels in 1938.

1900s
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Environmental Awareness

• The popular press begins to report warming
  trends.
• Scientists warn that global warming could bring
  significant increases in temperature and are tied
  to CO2 levels, but it goes largely unnoticed by
  the press.
• The late 1960s bring with them new awareness of
  the environment and the word, ecology becomes
  widely used due to exposure in the media.

1950s 1960s
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Earth Day

• Senator Gaylord Nelson begins in the 1960s to
  believe that an annual day to recognize the
  importance of a clean environment is a way to
  increase awareness of the problems of pollution.
• April 22, 1970 is designated as Earth Day, the
  beginning of the annual U.S. observance of the
  importance of the environment. Activities are
  widely reported in the media.

April 22, 1970
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Climate Change Concerns Grow

• Studies in the 1970s continue to indicate that
  warming is occurring and scientific conferences
  are held to discuss the problem with some press
  coverage.
• The 1970s bring a U.S. energy crisis to the
  forefront.
• By the 1980s the media begins more intense
  scrutiny. Dissenting scientists question the
  reality of climate change dangers .

1970s 1980s
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Coral Reef Changes

• Coral bleaching becomes a concern to scientists
  who determine it is caused by warming waters.
• Coral polyps expel Zooxanthellae, a single cell
  algae that works symbiotically to keep the coral
  functioning.
• Scientists later learn that the corals expel the
  algae so that new species of algae that can
  endure warmer waters can replace it. But
  sometimes no such replacement exists and the
  corals die.

1980s
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Sea Level Rise Concerns

• Along with changes in coral reefs concerns about
  the possible rise of sea level from the melting
  of polar ice caps begins to appear in news
  stories.
• Congressional hearings on warming make headlines
  in the 1980s as scientists learn that the decade
  shows the highest temperatures on record. The
  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the
  IPCC, is established.

1980s
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Warming at the Movies on TV

• Climate change becomes the subject of television
  documentaries.
• Sea level rise becomes the subject of
  Waterworld, an over-budget science fiction film
  about Earth with nearly no land remaining.
• Later The Day After Tomorrow portrays global
  climate change run amok in an impossible scenario.

1980s, 1990s Beyond
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Global Conferences Treaties

• The first report of the IPCC is released showing
  that the planet has warmed nearly one full degree
  Fahrenheit in 100 years, and warns that serious
  warming will result without action.
• In 1992 Climate Change Convention is signed by
  154 nations in Rio de Janeiro. Vice President Al
  Gore attends for the U.S. The Rio conference
  receives extensive press coverage.
• By mid decade island states have demanded a
  decrease in greenhouse gasses to prevent sea
  level rise and in 1997 the Kyoto Protocol calls
  for over 5 cut in emissions by industrialized
  nations.

1990s
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Energy Producers Opposition

• Energy producers begin to worry about how public
  perception might negatively affect future profits
  and governmental regulation.
• The American Petroleum Institute hosts a meeting
  and a plan is drafted. An effort is launched to
  downplay the dangers of global climate change and
  the contribution of human activity including
  burning of fossil fuels.
• The project is funded by Exxon and other
  corporations. The effort does not get reported in
  the press for several years.

The 1990s A New Millennium
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Bush Administration Global Changes

• A new president is elected after a historically
  narrow victory. Dangers of global climate change
  are downplayed officially.
• President George W. Bush renounces the Kyoto
  Protocol because he believes it will damage the
  U.S. Economy. The press covers developments as
  the White House denies that climate change is
  caused by human activity.
• By 2004 enough industrialized nations have
  ratified Kyoto to put the treaty into effect with
  out the U.S. as part of the effort.

A New Millennium
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Political Revisions to Scientific Findings

• NASA climate change expert, Dr. James Hansen,
  claims he is being pressured by Bush public
  relations personnel to downplay his findings
  about global climate change when discussing them
  publicly.
• In other federal agencies similar complaints
  surface at times when scientific findings
  conflict with Bush Administration political
  views.
• Congressional hearings confirm Hansen complaints
  and NASA spokesman George C. Deutsch resigns
  when it is learned that he had lied about his
  credentials and had never completed college. The
  24-year-old from Texas had been appointed after
  working on the Bush election campaign.

A New Millennium
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National Security Concerns

• While the Bush administration officially
  downplays the dangers of climate change the
  intelligence community begins to recognize the
  dangers that it could bring as nations come to
  grips with failing crops, catastrophic weather
  changes, and disappearing resources.
• Global climate change becomes part of the
  National Intelligence Assessment, an official
  report of the threats to the security of the
  United States. Dr. Thomas Fingar reports to
  Congress in 2008. The hearings are covered by the
  press.

A New Millennium
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An Inconvenient Awakening

• Vice President Al Gore begins to lecture on the
  topic of global climate change and is asked if
  his presentation might be incorporated by a
  filmmaker into a documentary.
• An Inconvenient Truth is released in 2006 and
  becomes a hit. The film wins an Academy Award for
  Best Documentary.
• Al Gore and the IPCC jointly win the Nobel Peace
  Prize for efforts in brining global climate
  change to public awareness and international
  action.
• President Bush acknowledges that human activity
  may contribute to global warming.

A New Millennium
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A New Political Landscape

• The presidential elections of 2008 become a race
  for change.
• Senator Barak Obama focuses on climate change and
  alternatives to fossil fuels as the key to
  success for America.
• Senator John McCain agrees but chooses to
  emphasize additional fossil fuel development.
  Drill baby drill becomes a common chant at
  McCain-Palin rallies.
• Gasoline tops 4 and even oil billionaire T.
  Boone Pickens sets forth plans for energy
  alternatives.

A New Millennium
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A New Administration and Awareness

• Economic disaster in the U.S. becomes the focus
  of political campaigns and Sen. Barack Obama is
  elected decisively.
• At his inauguration Obama pledges to support
  development of new technologies that will lead to
  energy independence and a decrease in CO2
  emissions in the United States more difficult
  to justify as oil prices drop.
• Kenneth Cohen, Exxon's vice president of public
  affairs says "there is no question that human
  activity is the source of carbon dioxide
  emissions." He emphasizes that Exxon will work
  with policy groups and universities to find new
  ways to lower greenhouse gases while producing
  energy.

A New Millennium
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New Directions

• Congress begins deliberations on economic bill to
  begin to address economic concerns.
• Funding for alternative energy development is
  included in house version of stimulus package.
• As international talks continue 190 square miles
  of ice shelf on the Antarctic coast breaks away
  into the sea.
• New York Times columnist, economist Tom Friedman,
  and others warn of global weather impacts from
  global weirding. He calls for a green
  revolution to develop new technologies to solve
  the problem and revive the U.S. economy.

A New Millennium
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New Opinions and Lost Ground

• Rasmussen Reports, a political polling firm that
  monitors public opinion about the causes of
  global climate change. In July 2006, 46 of
  voters said global warming is caused primarily by
  human activities, while just 35 of voters said
  they believe it is due to long term planetary
  trends.
• On January 19th the group released its most
  recent findings on public opinion about global
  climate change. It found that now more voters
  believe that warming is a result of normal
  planetary fluctuations than from human causes.
  Those who believe it is caused by people dropped
  to 41 while those who believe the converse rose
  to 44.

A New Millennium