Bloggers Hammer NYT on Decision to Close Environment Desk

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"The decision by the New York Times to close its environmental desk accelerates the disappearance of climate change from our public discourse. Over the past year, the Obama Administration has been silent on the topic, and we have just had a Presidential campaign in which climate change was never discussed. Now the Times is closing its environmental desk. Despite their official statements to the contrary, this move will reduce the paper’s institutional focus and capacity to report on environmental issues.
Media coverage of climate change has an enormous impact on both public opinion and the policy agenda. As the leading U.S. paper, the New York Times also influences the rest of the media. This act sends an important message that environmental issues no longer justify a special institutional focus. We can only hope that the other news media do not follow the Times’ “lead” in abdicating their responsibility to environmental reporting."
- Dr. Joe Brulle, Professor of Sociology and Environmental Science, Drexel University

"It’s far from a precise match for our situation at CNN four years ago — we all got fired, not re-shuffled. And of course, CNN will never be confused with the Times. But CNN similarly assured everyone that coverage would not be affected. One area where a decision like this would likely have the same impact at the Times that it did at CNN: When you abolish a standalone beat, it sends a strong message to every career-conscious reporter and editor that chasing environment stories is not a path to advancement."
- Peter Dykstra, CNN reporter, blogger for The Daily Climate

"Anyone who follows climate science, solutions, and politics knows that climate change is in the process of emerging as the story of the century — and that’s only if every major country pulls together to rapidly transform the global economy to avoid catastrophe. If the climate silence and inaction continues, it may well be the story of the millennium — see NOAA: Climate change “largely irreversible for 1000 years,” with permanent Dust Bowls in Southwest and around the globe."
- Joe Romm, Climate Progress

"NYT dismantles its nine-person environment desk - but says that won’t affect climate coverage. How is that possible?"
- Dan Froomkin, Senior Washington Correspondent, Huffington Post

"An unmitigated disaster."
-Ben Grossman-Cohen, Oxfam America

"Dedicated teams bring strength and consistency to the task of covering environment-related issues. It's always a huge loss to see them dismantled... it's not necessarily a weakening to change organizational structure, but it does seem to be a bad sign. I will be watching closely what happens next."
- Beth Parke, Executive Director, Society of Environmental Journalists

http://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/keeping-environmental-reporting-strong-wont-be-easy/?pagewanted=print

[riverbendviewgal]

1. I wonder sometimes if climate change is more rapid than we are led to believe

What if the scientists are seeing very great disastrous changes but governments want to keep this as quiet as possible to prevent mass panic and riots. FOX NEWS is watched by a lot of people who guns and may go around like insane people and create anger when they realize that FOX was lieing.

[wtmusic]

2. Scientists are seeing disastrous changes.

It's no secret, and a little panic would probably be an improvement over the complacent, deer-in-the-headlights attitude of most Americans.

Any efforts by the U.S. government to keep it quiet are more the result of plutocrats who represent oil interests.

[catbyte]

3. Hell, I'm seeing scary changes in Michigan. Lake MI water levels low, only 2"

of snow all year. I am 57 and these last few winters have been warm and scary. 2012 warmest on record. We are killing ourselves.

[LiberalEsto]

4. We have cherry blossoms and forsythia blooming in Maryland

I drove past a local park today and saw the cherry trees blooming, though very sparsely. The big forsythia bush across the road from the park is also flowering, but not fully. I'm used to seeing these trees and shrubs blooming in November if we get a warm spell, but JANUARY?

Our lawn is still green and daffodil leaves are coming up and this is not what I call normal.