One delivery CNBC should send back: climate denial
Sometimes you have to go where they the people are – or in our case, where the news-people are.
We did a live broadcast on climate change outside the studios of CNBC, just to show them it could be done. The fact is, though, CNBC's heart is not in its offices, its in the financial district where (mostly) men in suits roam. But Climate Change should matter to the financial industry just as much as it does to the rest of us. After all, your mortgage, business or 401k will all be worth less money if they're under-water, destroyed by extreme weather, or impacted by millions of new climate-refugees. So we've been speaking out against climate-bias in the news and demanding that influential news outlets cover it.
Together with our friends at Forecast the Facts and Media Matters for America funded this mobile billboard with original artwork, and yes, fuel-efficient truck to drive it around Wall Street and Chicago's Financial District.
As you can see from the photo, the result was priceless. Here's more from a great writeup by Think Progress:
"The billboards feature CNBC hosts nonchalantly crouching on their anchor desk as it bobs helplessly in high-water. The hosts smile, whistle, and sip coffee as the waterlogged remains of the studio drift around their desk island. The billboard declares “While business leaders prepare for climate change, CNBC won’t even admit it exists.”
Most recently, CNBC hosted Fox News climate denier favorite Joe Bastardi, who used his air time to attempt to cast doubt on the relationship between human-caused climate change and killer storms like Haiyan, which is now believed to have killed well over 4,000 people in the Philippines.
CNBC host Joe Kernen also used the anniversary of Superstorm Sandy to question the wisdom of investments designed to protect utility customers from future extreme weather. Bjorn Lomborg’s most recent climate-denying op-ed in the Washington Post was cited as evidence.
“Climate change is big financial news that must be covered regularly and accurately,” said Jesse Bacon, Environmental Action Field Organizer in a statement. “Last week’s horrific Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines reminds us just how high the stakes are for every person and every business on the planet. Like CNBC’s viewers, we want the network to provide honest information about this issue.”
Great effort everyone, and thanks to all who donated!