A piece of ice broke off from an iceshelf in Antarctica. It made news in many places usually cited by Kossacks. Most stories went with geographical size comparisions. I found the comparisions interesting enough to write up about it. Here is a summary of the stories and their geographic comparisions. Only using sites Kossacks in my dailykos stream are fond of quoting in their multitudes. So if your favourite place is not listed I apologize, but drop me a kosmail and I will think about it.
Usual Suspects:
Guardian went for Luxembuorg → Iceberg twice size of Luxembourg breaks off Antarctic ice shelf https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/12/giant-antarctic-iceberg-breaks-free-of-larsen-c-ice-shelf it has nice pictures and video clip. Guardian online is popular enough in USA and EU. This probably reflects their Luxembourg position as they try and appear international. I have noticed a few similar international references in international stories.
The Independent in UK went with Wales → Antarctic iceberg quarter the size of Wales splits from ice shelf → http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/antarctic-iceberg-splits-larsen-c-ice-shelf-half-size-wales-a7836736.html It even simpler and nicer pictures and explanatory graphs and a viceo clip. The content also references size of London. Wales seems to a measuring standards for The Indepenent as other stories that need size comparisions have used Wales, wholly or in parts or in multiples. Their primary sales is in London so naturally London references also crop up plenty of time.
NPR went with Massive, Massive Iceberg Breaks Free In Antarctica http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/12/536818782/massive-iceberg-breaks-free-in-antarctica content references the size of Delaware. Unsusprising comparision as primary target audience is in USA.
ITV (UK) seems to be going with Norfolk (a county in UK) Iceberg "the size of Norfolk" breaks free in Antarctica http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2017-07-12/iceberg-the-size-of-norfolk-breaks-free-in-antarctica/ nice video clip and video reporting. Reference to Norfolk is very understandable since this is a primary competitor of BBC in UK TV news.
Washington Post went with one of the Biggest in headline One of the biggest icebergs in recorded history just broke loose from Antarctica https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/07/12/one-of-the-biggest-icebergs-in-recorded-history-just-broke-loose-from-antarctica/ an okay gif, nice video. Geographic references Lake Eeerie and of course Delaware
CNN went for as many shout outs as possible with → Massive iceberg breaks away from Antarctica → http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/12/world/larsen-c-antarctica/index.html shout outs to Connecticut just to give an impression that theirs is a unique story and different from all those Delaware referencing stories. Oh also a shout out to Jamaica. It has the usual over the top graphics that is uniquely CNN.
Where would we be without some self referential meta stuff within DailyKos.
DailyKos: →
from Kossack Pakalolo who tends to write quite decent pieces about science and stuff with sober 2,240-square mile iceberg from Larsen C Ice Shelf is now spiraling in the Weddell Sea. What's next? here → https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/7/13/1680152/-2-240-square-mile-iceberg-from-Larsen-C-Ice-shelf-is-now-spiraling-in-the-sea-What-s-next with some quotes from Climate Central. Very serious and sober. If you want to keep an eye on on serious side without frivolous references and just a sprinkle of understatement then definitely worth following.
from Staffer DarkSyde who ocasionally writes about some weird incidents with half hearted sensational Mammoth iceberg calves off Antarctic ice shelf → https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/7/12/1680032/-Mammoth-iceberg-calves-off-Antarctic-ice-shelf quoting Washington Post. Some nice stuff
from Staffer Meteor Blades ever so prolific and writes abotu almost everything with → Spotlight on green news & views: Larsen C iceberg roams free; 2nd California wolf pack appears definitely an appreciable attempt at sensationalization. The diary is actually a full summary of everything very good that has been written about in the category fo Green News and stuff coverign everything you can imagine. This is a serious full catalogue diary for people who want to check if they have missed any previous diaries. also check out or follow tag SpotlightonGreenNewsandViews so that you can grab everythign with one tag
And Kossack hatrack who writes about climate chaneg a lot here with → Larsen C Ice Shelf Calves, Satellites Confirm; 12% Of Ice Shelf Gone With New Iceberg A68 seems to have gone down the reuters route with Luxembourg. Definitely worth following if you are not already. You will be reawrded with factual and no clickbaits.
Reuters people seem to prefer Luxembourg
And the ever so popular Dailykos favourite without a doubt.
Huffington Post with its multiple references to nearly every state and city and island and event “Bergxit” was continously running with the story like a lover you wish would stop this tepid and annoying and never progressing foreplay but are unwilling to say anything because they are seriously making an effort even if it was a technique read on the advice column of Trainspotting monthly.
This 11 month long buildup in the science and climate sections with at least one story a month and ocasionally more about that Larsen-C shelf and the very imminent breakoff finally had an opportunity for a climax. And what happens? Nothing. do they put it on first page? no. It it is as elusive as a third nipple.
Here is an old one → ‘Bergxit’: One Of The Largest Icebergs On Record Set To Break From Antarctic Shelf Experts say the chunk of ice will be larger than the island of Bali.
Is anyone even awake at Huffinton Post?
My Fourites:
Finally to round it off my two personally favourite sources and actual quotes from them. (Thewire.in and Rollingstone)
Rolling Stone diligently refused to make size based geographic comparisions. and I am personally delighted by it.It also makes apoint of why this not so news worthy event by itself is making the news.
The Larsen C Crack-Up in Antarctica: Why It Matters → http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/the-larsen-c-crack-up-in-antarctica-why-it-matters-w491929
The reading of the article is a bit full of numbers and down play the "World is ending" Narrative while maintaining a sober and sombre arguement that we need to pay attention to climate change. this starts with the sub title of the article itself Ice shelf breaking free is a big deal, but not in the way you might think.
But it's not necessarily a big deal in the way you might think. One reason the Larson C is getting a lot of attention is that it's a made-for-media crack-up, one that has played out in a visible, dramatic way over the last few months and weeks. The crack in the ice was easy to photograph, easy to understand, easy to worry about.
It is also well-timed politically. Larsen C has broken off just a month or so after President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, when people around the world are wondering just how much time we have left before the climate spins out of control – and what to do about it
The Wire.In (India) had this even before the cracking actually happenned. Unsurprisingly the geographic references are based on sizes of states (Haryana, Goa), cities (Delhi), Buildings (Qutub Minar) in India.
Why India Must Heed the Cracking of a Haryana-Sized Ice Shelf in Antarctica → https://thewire.in/119470/larsen-ipcc-ice-warming/ Original written on March 28. Instead of reporting new they opted for updating the story thereby highlighting that we need to look at big picture and not an individual event.
In a mental landscape increasingly dominated by the ephemeral nature of ‘Breaking News’, Larsen C exemplifies a global warming trait difficult to get our heads around.
Half a planet away from the immediacy of politics that dominates our headlines, there’s a crisis unfolding that can dog us for centuries.
As for the BBC, that everyones favourite BBC, Giant iceberg splits from Antarctic → The infuriatingly factual, with lots of very good images, graphics, clips. (CNN are you paying attention? this is how you do it). All done without any injection of emotions like crisis, vaguely condescending and a touch of mockery. Full of facts and figures. References, London, Wales, Hawaii, Cyprus visually for sizes
Of course on the negative side for people who might want to find the same story in future then this lacklustre and miserable search facility in BBC is reminiscent of the damn weather boiled cabbage. One of these days BBC will improve their internal serach engine so that looking for stuff is easier. Unless you already know which of the thousand little squiggly legs of BBC to search in it is virtually impossible to find anythign that is not already on the front page. BBC says, To navigate the BBC