“A lie travels halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its boots.” - Mark Twain

This article provides great summary of a topic that always concerns me - the control that the media has on the climate change 'debate'. I highly recommend it in full, but here is a good clip:

"It’s much more difficult to have a story in the newspaper or a TV news segment, explaining the latest study in Nature or Science, than it is to have an unqualified scientist or “spokesman” offer a pithy, controversial quote or sound bite not necessarily grounded in fact.

This reality has given the fossil-fuel lobby a major leg up, writes James Hoggan, co-author of a Climate Cover-Up and founder of DeSmogBlog.com. Hoggan’s must-read book describes in disturbing detail the well-oiled campaign to confuse the public and confound the science, creating enough doubt to thwart meaningful action and protect a world economic order built around the burning of oil, coal, and natural gas."

Another problem that this article doesn't address enough is the need for the global media to give balance by providing 'both sides' of the story. I can see where they are coming from, that the media is supposed to facilitate public debate and let people decide for themselves the true nature of a story, but in the case of science, I think it may be best to allow real working scientists provide much of the dialogue. With some 95% of climate scientists providing data in support of human-induced climate change, they should not be given the same airtime as (often unqualified) contrarians. (a few examples: here, here, here). I mean, if 95% of scientists suggested that a particular medicine was dangerous, would they be given equal airtime to the 5% that thought it was safe? Well, maybe if the pharmaceutical industry paid them to...but i digress.

The REAL christmas victims

It began pretty early this year, the right has come out swinging at the supposed 'attack on Christmas'. In this case, I'm referring to their recent boycott of GAP for their 'anti-Christmas' ad. Of course, anyone who has seen the ad would no doubt see that they were simply trying to portray the holidays in a more inclusive light and not, comparing Christmas "to pagan "Solstice" holiday" as the American Family Association claims. The funniest thing about this is that basically all major Christmas traditions are of pagan decent (the tree, many of the songs, gift giving...). Oh, if they only knew.

The really sad thing is that this trend where the majority thinks that they are actually the victims is everywhere. You see the same sentiment all the with things like gay marriage or atheism's secular agenda (both clearly acting oppressors). Why this happens is for another post, but my working hypothesis is that it comes down to money. A TV program can reach their biggest audience if they play to the majority and ignore the minority view.

An 'unfortunate' cool spot

The news is now out that this year had the warmest June-October on record, it is a little sad that the one cool spot is over the US. Had we been in the ultra-red area that the rest of the world appears to be in, maybe the US would grasp that the world is warming! It isn't really fair to use the logic that one year makes a huge difference, because it is the overall trend that counts, but still, people only seem to understand the problem when it is in their face. They only perceive the world warming when it's hot outside.