When you bring up climate change or global warming to someone, they may make it into a controversial or debatable issue, but why? Well it could have something to do with mainstream media’s coverage of the topic, or lack thereof. In 2011, just before the EPA began to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, it seemed as if only new media was covering the new regulations. According to Pew Research, “From December 7-11, more than half (52%) of the news links in blogs were about global warming”. That sounds about right for an issue that would affect 100% of the planet, but how did mainstream media cover this important topic? Well according to PEW, “while mainstream media have generally covered the issue less than have social media, global warming filled 10% of the mainstream newshole last week, the highest level of coverage since PEJ's News Coverage Index began tracking it in January 2007.” Clearly that is a step-up from the nearly non-existent coverage on climate change in the media, but it still remains true that this issue is mostly relegated to the internet.
Places like Europe, United Kingdom, and Germany have surpassed the United States in acknowledgment of such pressing issues. The organization Environment Canada said, “Legislative changes in Europe and the United Kingdom have been found to be directly correlated with an increased interest in developing a longer-term focus in the investment agenda.” They go on to say that the United States has more obstacles because addressing climate change is a conflict of interest to private businesses, specifically one’s with the largest greenhouse gas emissions. Dr. Ben Marzeion from the Institute for Meteorology and Geophysics said, “Melting glaciers will raise the sea level between 15 and 22 cm until 2100. Where we end up within this range is up to us – it mostly depends on how much greenhouse gas we will emit.” Climate Change Reality Project’s website says “Despite overwhelming international scientific consensus on climate change, the global community still lacks the resolve to implement meaningful solutions.” Environmental Organizations have focused most of their attention on the internet as a means to get the word out, because mainstream media just isn’t providing the information.