The issue of climate change is a tricky one. As a bit of an
eco-warrior I do what I can. I use public transport, I recycle and
I never fail to take a canvas bag with me when I head out the door
to Tesco. The
scale of the problem is so huge though that beyond these measly
steps, I can't help feeling a bit helpless.
Is strong leadership from the government what's needed to turn
Britain green? Undoubtedly, but according to the panel at this
week's frontline
event on climate change it seems the media has an
equal role to play in making Britain go green.
Arranged by Frontline, 'Climate change: is the Coalition up
to the challenge of the next five years?' was an interesting
insight into the issue of climate change, the challenges that the
'Cammy-Leg' coalition face and the media's role in bringing a sense
of balance to the argument.
Sounds easy right? Not so according to Fiona Harvey, environment
correspondent at the Financial
Times who seized the opportunity to discuss the
challenges she faces in 'fairly' reporting on climate change. For
every positive story about a wind-farm development going up,
there's a story elsewhere on scientists getting their climate
change figures wrong. For every article on Britain over-achieving
on its emissions reduction targets there's a story on us missing
the renewables target by a mile.
While climate change efforts can't be viewed through rose-tinted
glasses all the time, would it be completely out of order for them
to sit on the more 'optimistic' side of the fence?
Harvey used the example of the Daily
Mail's 'illuminating' yet somewhat alarmist front page
over the phasing out of iridescent light bulbs as a case in
point.
If the media makes such a panic over something as simple as a
lightbulb, how are we ever going to get the British public behind
much bigger projects like wind turbine farms and tidal
projects?
For me, this is far too important an issue to cloud the water
with negative and at times, outrageous stories. Mark Maslin,
director of the Environment Institute at University College
London cited one story he'd seen where the heat from
polar bears' breath was to blame for the melting caps. Is this
kind of reporting really going to help get the public behind
climate change measures or is it 'fair reporting' gone mad? Pass
the rose-tinted glasses I say.
Helen Ablett