TV weathercasters, who are not trained in climate science, are often misleading many members of the public into doubting the well-established science which indicates that human activities are warming the planet.
"If you are like most Americans, the weather forecast on tonight's evening news may be your only exposure to science all day. And there's a good chance that your trusted local weathercaster is your only regular source of information on climate change.
This seeming monopoly on the public's exposure to a critical issue has consequences, according to environmental advocates. Recent studies have found that more than half of the reporters relaying weather on television do not believe humans are the primary drivers of global warming -- despite a consensus among scientists who specialize on the topic.
'If you look at the stats over the past five or six years, the public's belief that global warming is a serious problem, or is even happening, is declining,' said Daniel Souweine, co-founder of the nonprofit Citizen Engagement Lab. In fact, nearly 40 percent of Americans are not convinced that the earth is heating up, according to the latest Pew Research Center poll."
Lynne Peeples reports for the Huffington Post January 30, 2012.
SEE ALSO:
"Scientists Challenging Climate Science Appear to Flunk Climate Economics" (Dot Earth/NYT)
"Dismal Science at the Wall Street Journal" (Union of Concerned Scientists)
"Remarkable Editorial Bias on Climate Science at the Wall Street Journal" (Forbes/Peter Gleick)
