Fox News Undermines Climate Change Talks Ahead of Paris Talks

Strategic Insights -

President Obama's efforts to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate catastrophic warming are being undermined by Fox News, which sent correspondent Geraldo Rivera to Paris to downplay the threat of climate change. Fox News co-hosts Steve Doocy and Elisabeth Hasselbeck have been spreading misinformation about the Earth's temperature, claiming it has "gone down" in recent years, while frequent guest John Sununu argued that climate change is not a serious issue. Meanwhile, top-polling Republican candidates have dismissed climate change as a left-wing conspiracy or a forgone conclusion about which there is nothing to be done.

Key Takeaways:

  • Fox News co-hosts Steve Doocy and Elisabeth Hasselbeck have been spreading misinformation about the Earth's temperature, claiming it has "gone down" in recent years.
  • Geraldo Rivera pushed back on this misinformation, stating that 2015 was the hottest year on record and that nine out of ten hottest years have occurred since 2000.
  • Fox News is downplaying the threat of climate change, particularly when compared to terrorism.
  • The cable news network is developing a narrative that the world should stop wasting its time on climate change when terrorists are trying to kill us right now.
  • French President Francois Hollande has prioritized climate change talks despite the attacks in Paris, calling them "an act of defiance that proves nothing will deter us from building the future we want for our children."

Statistics:

  • 3% of Americans view climate change as the "most important issue facing the country today," according to a poll conducted by Fox News.
  • 2015 was the hottest year on record, with nine out of ten hottest years occurring since 2000.
  • The Earth's temperature has actually risen by 1°C since the late 19th century, and the rate of warming has accelerated since the 1970s

Sources:

  • Fox News
  • USA Today
  • Barack Obama's speech at the climate conference in Paris
  • French President Francois Hollande's statement on climate change
  • Geraldo Rivera's report from Paris on Fox News