SDARI Meeting: Mike Roddy, "Global Warming and the U.S. Media".

The American media has failed to educate the public about rapidly escalating global warming, in spite of a particularly intense year for frightening scientific reports and natural disasters. Price Waterhouse, World Bank, MIT, and many other staid organizations consider the world to be on the threshold of a major emergency. Meanwhile, Media Matters found that there were 1080 stories on broadcast television about the Kardashians in 2011, and 4 about a key climate change side effect, ocean acidification.

The main hope for the world's future lies in awakening the American public. It has become clear that newspaper editors and television news managers answer to advertisers, not the public's right to know about key issues. This problem even extended to the Presidential debates, as reporter moderators avoided asking what should have been the most critical question of the election: what does the candidate propose to do about the world's rapidly disintegrating climate?

Mike Roddy has worked in residential construction and development, including acting as principal, project manager, and lead developer. Has written numerous magazine articles and technical papers; currently writing a book on climate change. Has also testified before the Government Management and Oversight, Interior Appropriations committee of Congress. Has done environmental research for industry, has worked in solar manufacturing, and has managed social housing projects on four continents.

Author of this article:
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2010/06/10/206095/china-india-global-warming-greenhouse-gas-carbon-dioxide-emissions/