room for journalists in climate change

In a report out of the latest meeting of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the number one sentiment was that journalists were not doing their job in getting the word out about the severity of this whole global warming thing.

In fact, Katherine Richardson from the University of Copenhagen said that a new strategy is needed for communicating climate change, one that sidesteps journalists, and the money-making organizations they work for, entirely, according to Nature.

But the author of the report brings up a relevant issue:  if the scientists don’t talk to the journailists, ensuring accurate data.. who will?

Authorities on climate change are irreplaceable in informing the media, whether they do so by being a reliable source for science reporters, by writing op-eds in mainstream newspapers or by contributing to blogs. With recent cuts in core science reporting staff, such as those at CNN, it is especially vital that scientists continue this service to society. It would be better still if they combined this with more direct communication through avenues such as blogs, which are becoming increasingly important resources for reporters and interested citizens (Nature 458, 274–277; 2009). But such efforts should be seen as complementary to, rather than as a replacement for, mainstream media. By embracing both, scientists may well see their messages begin to permeate more effectively.

contest

The winners of the 2008 Wildlife Photography of the Year were announced yesterday.

All I can say is… whoa.

Go HERE for all the photos. Some are presented below.

A cat-eyed tree-snake, coiled around a branch, was locked in an embrace with a Morelet’s treefrog – a critically endangered species.

Sulawesi macaques are now at high risk of extinction.

White-tailed eagles are the largest eagles in northern Europe, with a wingspan of more than two metres.

this is not good

Click HERE for an article about Polar Bears and what they have turned to with climate change.

morning read

Here are two periodicals that I am reading right now and think you would get value out of reading them too.

The first is a new magazine to hit the stands: Edible Los Angeles

One of the coolest things about this magazine is you can download and read the entire issue, FOR FREE, from their site. As much as I know that this magazine will only thrive on revenue, I think it shows a lot of integrity that they feel it is more important to get out the message of good, sustainable, local food.

Another magazine that I think is amazing, and I have linked to it for month’s but never written about it is Lapham’s Quarterly.

Their last issue was the Book of Nature, and I am sure you can still get it on newsstands. In each issue, a topic is picked and the written word, spanning decades, if not centuries, are found and published. It is a very comprehensive journal, edited by a leader in journalism, Lewis Lapham