I think we're all familiar with the depressingly effective climate change denial propaganda campaign being waged by Big Oil, Big Coal, and their numerous corporate friends. This morning my wife and I were "treated" to a custom-crafted form of this on our local television news station.
Our local television news programs are, sadly, just like those in most small to mid-sized metropolitan markets. "If it bleeds, it leads". All crime, all the time. Lots of breathless reporting on the latest shooting or assault (you know, in those neighborhoods). Virtually nothing on local political corruption, or the hidden hand of influential corporations and wealthy individuals on public policy.
Well, they outdid themselves this morning. A full-on crazy segment of pure, distilled climate change denialism. Five minutes of prime morning television news devoted to a telephone interview with an author pimping his latest book of climate change denialism. He ticked off all the usual wingnut boxes: it's all due to natural cycles not mankind, "some scientists" are in cahoots to push the "radical climate change agenda", the e-mail "climate-gate", yadda yadda yadda.
They let this wingnut rap up his pitch without a single skeptical comment or question. No contrary opinion, no analysis, no mention that 97% of genuine scientists agree that it's real, it's bad, and it's us.
Next up: the latest shooting...in "that part of town".
Your craven corporate media at work.