Friday, January 18, 2008

Ask the press to ask about climate change

Passing on a petition I got an email for, from somebody called "The Alliance for Climate Protection." Click the link to sign.
Dear friend,

The press has been asking the presidential candidates hundreds of questions on a range of issues, but seldom asks about the greatest threat to our planet: the climate crisis. I want to know how the next President -- Democrat, Republican or Independent -- is going to address this critical issue. Don't you?

Please add your name to this petition and we will deliver it to the key media outlets. Together we can ensure this topic gets the attention it deserves.

A League of Conservation Voters’ study found that ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked presidential candidates more than 767 questions -- only 5 of which were related to global warming. CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked more than 402 questions -- only 5 were about global warming. Sadly, other political commentators and reporters have shown a similar disregard for this key issue.

Please add your voice today.

Sincerely,
Cathy Zoi
CEO, The Alliance for Climate Protection


This follows an earlier email from MoveOn, who also have a petition.
Dear MoveOn member,

In the last year, the major TV networks asked the presidential candidates 2,679 questions. Pop quiz: How many were about global warming?

A) 514—after all, it's one of the top issues facing the country
B) 165—as many as were asked about illegal immigration
C) 3—the same number asked about UFOs

If you guessed 3, you're right: Reporters asked as many questions about UFOs as they did about the climate crisis—the biggest threat to our planet.1

Can you sign our petition urging top TV reporters to ask the presidential candidates about global warming? Click here to add your name:

http://pol.moveon.org/climatequestions/o.pl?id=11909-5750246-pCuZYJ&t=165

The petition to the reporters says: "The American public deserves to know where all the candidates stand on the climate crisis and the solutions they propose to address it. Asking those questions is your responsibility."

Please forward this email to your friends, family, and co-workers.

The media help decide what's an "issue" in the '08 election. Unless climate change is on the '08 election agenda, it won't be on the next president's agenda. And the UN's top climate expert warned: "If there's no action before 2012, that's too late. What we do in the next two or three years will determine our future."2

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. And polls show that voters care about it.3 But somehow, the TV networks never got the memo. NBC's top political reporter, Tim Russert, didn't ask a single question about global warming last year. Same for Sunday political show hosts on CBS and ABC. CNN asked just 1. Incredibly, Republican-leaning Fox bested them all with a grand total of 2.

Our friends at the League of Conservation Voters will deliver your signature and comment directly to the TV networks at a press conference in front of their Washington, D.C., headquarters. And they'll use our petition signatures to prove there's public demand for TV anchors to ask about climate change.

Sign this petition to urge TV anchors to ask about climate change. Clicking here will add your name:

http://pol.moveon.org/climatequestions/o.pl?id=11909-5750246-pCuZYJ&t=166

Thank you for all you do.

–Noah, Wes, Ilyse, Justin, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

Sources:
1. "What Are They Waiting For?", League of Conservation Voters
http://www.whataretheywaitingfor.com/facts.html

2. "Desperate times, desperate scientists," Salon News, December 12, 2007
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/12/12/ipcc_report/

3. "Poll: Finding Their Voice as Agents of Change," Democracy Corps, October 30, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3317&id=11909-5750246-pCuZYJ&t=167


The both point at this same study, but MoveOn has apparently confused Wolf Blitzer with the press in general. What do you want from Democrats?

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