With all the recent global warming coverage in the mainstream media, I find it reassuring that some journalists, though certainly not enough, are writing about the implications for people who live in poverty. Environmentalism—whether we’re talking about climate change, organic food, or access to green space— is a class issue.
In last Monday’s International Herald Tribune, Andrew Revkin reported, “Over the last few decades, as scientists have intensified their studies of the human effects on climate and of the effects of climate change on humans, a common theme has emerged: in both respects, the world is a very unequal place.”
Covering a similar story for last Sunday’s New York Times, Revkin wrote, “Africa accounts for less than 3 percent of the global emissions of carbon dioxide from fuel burning since 1900, yet its 840 million people face some of the biggest risks from drought and disrupted water supplies, according to new scientific assessments.”
I guess before I buy a Prius and cross “stop global warming” off my To Do list, there is some additional work on the horizon.
As an aside (and since I’m feeling snarky), despite Revkin’s commendable reporting, I’m still not ready to renew my subscription to the Times. If the corporate owners of America’s major newspaper chains wonder why they’re in financial crisis, I would suggest to them that it’s not all about the “changing business model.” In their complete failure to cover the early days of Bush’s War with any kind of journalistic acumen, the Times, among others, rendered itself largely irrelevant. Until the newspaper business quits acting like a personal public relations firm for the rich and powerful, it’s probably more reliable to get information from your friendly neighborhood blogger. At least here at eco-chick, Starre and her girls are not so easily owned.
(Special thanks to Miami-based contrarian Shaun Wimberly for, among other things, sending me the Tribune article.)
I have to put in a good word for my newspaper. Sometimes I feel still like an outsider looking in at this strange entity — after 12 years and 1,100 stories… But on the whole, I’m convinced we’re doing a fantastic job — at least on science, health, environment — in covering global development issues from the standpoint of the world’s poorest.
Our series on extinguishable diseases of the tropical poor….
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/hea.....ERIES.html
Our work covering flaws in food aid:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04.....ambia.html
my work with four correspondents revealing the ‘climate divide’>
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04.....3clim.html
our ongoing work uncovering efforts to distort climate findings, etc.
i encourage EcoChicks and others to reconsider the value of the NYT. Bloggers are great. But the Times is, too.
: – )
Andy (revkin@nytimes.com)
04/08/07 » 9:27 am »