Lack Of Environmental Coverage In Media

Media outlets are the primary medium of information. They can cover topics that focus on the seriousness of politics to meager details in the entertainment business to challenges in local communities. These stories are important as they serve as the public’s connection to the outside world. Although these subjects can vary in media outlets, there’s one that’s rarely spoken of. The environment. Environmental coverage in media outlets accounts for 1.2 percent in the United States, while the remaining 98.8 percent are crime and entertainment coverage (Environmental Coverage). With the lack of environmental headlines in media outlets, major issues such as global warming are overlooked and sometimes forgotten until mentioned. Global warming is the …show more content…
This factor originated in the Industrial Revolution when machinery began to replace manual labor (“The Ecological Impact”). Eventually, the usage of fossil fuels increased, powering locomotives and other machineries (“Why did fossil fuels”). These fossil fuels include coal, natural gas, and petroleum, and have been burned to provide energy for factories, cars, and electrical production (Petersen, Sack, and Gabler 84). However, when burned, the fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which covers the Earth like a blanket. This blanket traps the insolation from going back into space and leaves the energy lingering in the atmosphere, warming up the planet (Petersen, Sack, and Gabler 83). Another cause of global warming is businesses. The economical motivations behind the actions of businesses are factors such as commercialization and low …show more content…
One consequence of this issue is receding glaciers (Kerr 1). All around the world, glaciers are melting from the increase in temperature (“Early Warning Signs”). These losses are especially apparent in glaciers located in the higher latitudes. When glaciers melt, the water from the object will flow and add to the existing seawater. As a result, this will increase the ocean’s sea level, and the interaction between the two will quickly diminish the ice on the glacier (“Why do glaciers”). Glaciers are important because they provide freshwater for humanity. Another consequence of global warming is the migration of species. Temperature influences the migration pattern of animals, plants, bugs, and more. As temperatures change, these species have to move towards higher elevations where it’s cooler to live. However, the shift in migration of a species proves to be challenging because it would alter the environmental conditions of the already existing species (Walther et al. 390). In addition, intruding species would have to adapt to the new environment while the existing species would have to share their space. Sometimes, the intruding species bring unwanted diseases that infect the groups already inhabiting the area (Walther et al. 391). Other times, they fail to adapt and die off. Furthermore, global warming doesn’t only affect plants, animals, and bugs. They also affect the health of humans. Rising temperatures can result