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Meteorologists Talk Climate Change

When President Obama introduced the National Climate Assessment a couple of weeks ago, he asked eight special people to help him. They were national and local weather casters including Al Roker.

It was an interesting choice.  

Credit NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / Creative Commons
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Creative Commons
This ice cave in Belcher Glacier, Devon Island, Canada, was formed by melt water flowing within the glacier ice.

For more than a decade, climate scientists have regarded TV meteorologists as kind of an intellectual bottleneck. They have access to the eyes and ears of Americans but a lot of them, maybe even most of them, didn't embrace the established science that global temperatures are rising, that it's due primarily to increased greenhouse gasses, that if the human race doesn't cut down on its production of those gasses, there will be effects even more extreme than the ones we're already seeing.

So, we decided to talk to our local weather casters about climate change, about what they believe and what they feel comfortable saying on the air. 

GUESTS:

Listen to "Liberated Carbon," an original song by guest Andrew Revkin.  Or,  if  you want to have a little fun with fossil fuels check out this version. He's been a songwriter for over 20 years, occasionally performing with Peter Seeger. You can link to his website here.

Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.
Chion Wolf is the host of Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public.
Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows.

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