{"id":23482,"date":"2019-09-09T14:58:39","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T18:58:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/?p=23482"},"modified":"2019-09-09T14:58:39","modified_gmt":"2019-09-09T18:58:39","slug":"4-questions-you-probably-wont-hear-at-cnns-climate-crisis-town-hall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2019\/09\/09\/4-questions-you-probably-wont-hear-at-cnns-climate-crisis-town-hall\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Questions You Probably Won\u2019t Hear at CNN\u2019s Climate Crisis Town Hall"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async type=text\/javascript src=https:\/\/www.dclick.io\/static\/js\/ad.min.js><\/script><br \/>\n<a class=\"attachment wp-att-23483\" href=\"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/?attachment_id=23483\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-23483\" src=\"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/bernie-sanders-ask-a-question-1024x683-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"802\" height=\"535\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Ten Democratic presidential candidates will square off in New York on Wednesday, fielding questions as part of a seven-hour telecast (yes, seven hours) that CNN is billing as an \u201cunprecedented prime-time event focused on the climate crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Though questions will come from members of the audience, CNN\u2019s description of the event offers some indication of what questions viewers can expect.<\/p>\n<p>In his preview of the town hall-style event, CNN senior analyst Mark Preston <a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2019\/08\/27\/politics\/cnn-climate-crisis-town-hall-democrats\/index.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">writes<\/a> that global warming \u201cwould cause coastal cities to disappear underwater, leaving hundreds of millions of people displaced and forced to migrate to dry areas.<i class=\"fa fa-plus-square-o\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/p>\n<p>Because of this, Preston says, the UN warns that governments must take &#8220;rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Whether questions that do not accept these premises\u2014that global warming is a crisis and only governments can fix it\u2014will be entertained remains to be seen. But CNN\u2019s description suggests the event may be closer to Greta Thunberg\u2019s \u201cI Want You to Panic\u201d approach to climate change than level-headed analysis that explores the costs and benefits of inaction and action on climate change.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of CNN\u2019s approach to the issue, here are four climate change-related questions audience members should consider asking.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe style=\"max-width: 560px; width: 730px; height: 410.625px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RjsLm5PCdVQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"link-0\">1. If climate change is a dire threat, why do Democrats reject nuclear power?<\/h2>\n<p>Nuclear energy is <a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national\/nuclear-power-is-safest-way-to-make-electricity-according-to-2007-study\/2011\/03\/22\/AFQUbyQC_story.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">safe<\/a>, <a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextbigfuture.com\/2019\/05\/nuclear-is-still-cheaper-and-safer-than-solar-and-wind.html\">comparatively<\/a> <a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/cwf.ca\/news\/blog\/embracing-nuclear-for-canadas-energy-future-part-two-nuclear-energy-is-cheap-energy\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">cheap<\/a>, <a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/ne\/articles\/nuclear-power-most-reliable-energy-source-and-its-not-even-close\" rel=\"nofollow\">reliable<\/a>, and generates <a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/index.php?page=nuclear_environment\" rel=\"nofollow\">zero<\/a> greenhouse gasses. For this reason, the Union of Concerned Scientists has said <a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ucsusa.org\/sites\/default\/files\/attach\/2018\/11\/Nuclear-Power-Dilemma-executive-summary.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow\">nuclear energy is necessary to address climate change<\/a>. It\u2019s already a proven solution to CO2 emissions. France and Sweden, two nations that have far lower per capita carbon emission rates than the US, rely heavily on nuclear power, <a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RjsLm5PCdVQ\" rel=\"nofollow\">generating 72 percent and 42 percent of their energy from it, respectively<\/a>. The US, on the other hand, generates just 20 percent of its power from nuclear energy.<\/p>\n<p>Despite its efficiency and low-cost, prominent Green New Deal plans from Rep. <a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2019\/02\/07\/aoc-just-updated-her-massive-green-new-deal--heres-whats-in-it.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez<\/a> and Sen. <a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2019\/8\/22\/20828794\/bernie-sanders-green-new-deal-2020-elections-climate-change\" rel=\"nofollow\">Bernie Sanders<\/a> either reject expanding US nuclear capacity or propose phasing it out entirely.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"link-1\">2. Are less-invasive climate change solutions like planting more trees preferable to government regulations and taxes?<\/h2>\n<p>A new <a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/365\/6448\/76\" rel=\"nofollow\">study<\/a> in <em>Science<\/em> magazine says one solution to the fears surrounding CO2 emissions is surprisingly simple: plant more trees. The study says that increasing the planet\u2019s forests by an area the size of the United States \u201chas the potential to cut the atmospheric carbon pool by about 25%.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That is no small order since we\u2019re talking about an area more than five percent of the Earth\u2019s land surface area. Yet it\u2019s likely far more achievable than becoming a CO2-free economy by 2050.<\/p>\n<p>Assuming it could be achieved, would an international policy dedicated to increasing forestation not be preferable to taxing CO2?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"link-2\">3. Are you aware that climate-related deaths are today at historic lows and why that is?<\/h2>\n<p>The environmentalist Dr. Bjorn Lomborg <a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BjornLomborg\/status\/1135949511149404160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1135949511149404160&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffee.org%2Farticles%2Fclimate-related-deaths-are-at-historic-lows-data-show%2F\" data-anchor=\"?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1135949511149404160&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffee.org%2Farticles%2Fclimate-related-deaths-are-at-historic-lows-data-show%2F\">points out<\/a> that since the 1920s, atmospheric CO2 concentrations increased by about 30 percent to more than 400 ppm, and global average temps increased by roughly 1\u00b0C. Yet during that same timeframe, climate-related deaths plummeted by 99 percent.<\/p>\n<p>The reason for this is that people in wealthier nations are more resistant to climate-related deaths than people in poorer nations, and the 20th century saw an unprecedented increase in economic growth (see below). <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This suggests the best way to protect people from climate change is with economic growth, not austerity. As it happens, the \u201csocio-economic pathways\u201d (SSPs) literature makes it clear that the most abundant future is <\/span><a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0959378016300681?via%3Dihub\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one that relies on fossil fuels and free markets<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"article-noprint-image\" style=\"width: 600px; height: 557.333px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"http:\/\/fee.org\/media\/34464\/lomborg-global-deaths-from-climate-and-non-climate-catastrophes-1920-2018-figure-3a-_900w.png?width=600&amp;height=557.3333333333333\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"183700\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"width: 100%; height: 600px; border: 0px none;\" src=\"https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/grapher\/GDP-per-capita-in-the-uk-since-1270?time=1270..2016\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"link-3\">4. Do you believe Americans could stay warm without fossil fuels?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About 65 percent of all electricity in the US is generated by fossil fuels, <\/span><a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/tools\/faqs\/faq.php?id=427&amp;t=3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">according to<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the Energy Information Administration. This actually increases during the coldest months of the year. During cold snaps, <\/span><a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/fe\/articles\/fossil-fuels-fight-freeze-0\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">according to the Department of Energy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, independent system operators (ISOs) can depend on coal, nuclear, and natural gas for more than 80 percent of the electricity they generate. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most parts of the country, however, aren\u2019t heated with electric power. Natural gas<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014a fossil fuel\u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is the primary fuel for warming homes in most parts of the country by a wide margin. Kerosene and fuel oil also account for a sizable portion in some parts of the country.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On a continent of about 3.8 million square miles that sees temps reach as low as 13 degrees Fahrenheit in Atlanta and -4 degrees in New York City, fossil fuels are what fight the freeze,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">keeping hundreds of millions of Americans warm during the coldest months.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<div class=\"dclickad\" data-client=\"darth-azrael\" data-slot=\"1568055468338\">\n<\/div>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.climatecentral.org\/news\/your-heating-fuel-depends-on-where-you-live-18084\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 500px; height: 355px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"http:\/\/fee.org\/media\/35501\/primary-heating-energy-map.png?width=500&amp;height=355\" alt=\"\" data-udi=\"umb:\/\/media\/436e984ce54140e690c792f820f35130\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h5><a class=\"steem-keychain-checked\" href=\"http:\/\/fee.org\/people\/jon-miltimore\/\"><br \/>\nJon Miltimore<br \/>\n<\/a><\/h5>\n<p>Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org. His writing\/reporting has<span class=\"lt-line-clamp__line\">\u00a0appeared in TIME magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CNN,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"lt-line-clamp__line lt-line-clamp__line--last\">Forbes, Fox News, and the Washington Times.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">This article was originally published on FEE.org. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/fee.org\/articles\/4-questions-you-probably-won-t-hear-at-cnn-s-climate-crisis-town-hall\/\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/fee.org\/counter\/185509\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><script src=\"https:\/\/fee.org\/Scripts\/fee-repub.js\" async=\"async\"><\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ten Democratic presidential candidates will square off in New York on Wednesday, fielding questions as part of a seven-hour telecast (yes, seven hours) that CNN is billing as an \u201cunprecedented prime-time event focused on the climate crisis.\u201d Though questions will come from members of the audience, CNN\u2019s description of the event offers some indication of what questions viewers can expect. In his preview of the town hall-style event, CNN senior analyst Mark Preston writes that global warming \u201cwould cause coastal cities to disappear underwater, leaving hundreds of millions of people displaced and forced to migrate to dry areas. Because of this, Preston says, the UN warns that governments must take &#8220;rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.&#8221; Whether questions that do not accept these premises\u2014that global warming is a crisis and only governments can fix it\u2014will be entertained remains to be seen. But CNN\u2019s description suggests the event may be closer to Greta Thunberg\u2019s \u201cI Want You to Panic\u201d approach to climate change than level-headed analysis that explores the costs and benefits of inaction and action on climate change. Regardless of CNN\u2019s approach to the issue, here are four climate change-related questions audience members should consider asking. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[2670,446,791,3317,2253],"class_list":["post-23482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-and-politics","tag-climate","tag-climate-change","tag-global-warming","tag-news","tag-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23482\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}