In order to appeal to the public, journalists tend to favor coverage of human-interest stories and exaggerate consequences for emotional appeal. While it is true that the media has reported inaccurate predictions concerning climate change, that does not mean that future consequences should be dismissed. Given the factors that go into predicting the future of climate change, it is no surprise that the UN Commission’s current forecasts are different from its predictions ten years ago. Influences such as how much the levels of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere increase, how the climate reacts to these levels, and natural impacts of the climate are essentially difficult for scientists to predict. While the natural changes do occur to the environment, humans play a role in changes, too. Rather than focusing on abstract predictions, the media’s main concern should be informing the public of ways to improve the quality of life we have now and how to respect the environment we undoubtedly depend
In order to appeal to the public, journalists tend to favor coverage of human-interest stories and exaggerate consequences for emotional appeal. While it is true that the media has reported inaccurate predictions concerning climate change, that does not mean that future consequences should be dismissed. Given the factors that go into predicting the future of climate change, it is no surprise that the UN Commission’s current forecasts are different from its predictions ten years ago. Influences such as how much the levels of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere increase, how the climate reacts to these levels, and natural impacts of the climate are essentially difficult for scientists to predict. While the natural changes do occur to the environment, humans play a role in changes, too. Rather than focusing on abstract predictions, the media’s main concern should be informing the public of ways to improve the quality of life we have now and how to respect the environment we undoubtedly depend