1. Every human being can emit 2 tons of carbon dioxide per year. If it’s more, we’ll wreck the climate. Current state of affairs in the US: 20+ tons.

2. It is possible to have a good quality of life, better than we are having now, and for more people with less than 2t emissions. Many solutions exist and just need to be spread. We can for sure get to a zero-emissions society by 2050 without any “harm”.

I wish you would help in spreading that story!

best wishes from Mexico,

Kjell

You mentioned that the journalists were waiting for something to happen after building their “field of dreams”. They can write it but it takes more to actually get people to read it.
They need to write to their audience. The way people are approaching this is pretty one sided, my way or the highway, kind of way. Communication is a conversation and not someone driving by with a bullhorn.

They need to write to multiple audiences. Most of the environmental advocates are liberal politically as well. Nothing wrong with that. What happens though is that they are promoting science and environmental issues, they also link in the other liberal issues that are not related. It is as if they cannot rationalize that someone might be conservative on some issues and still be on the same page regarding science or the environment. So what do they end up doing? They alienate the conservatives because they do not agree on ALL issues as well. These issues impact liberals and conservatives alike.

As long as people take a partisan approach, they are going to get a partisan response.
It is the same environment whether you are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or whatever else you can think of.

“Just remember though, the right to free speech doesn’t guarantee an audience.”

My point, exactly. We each have a responsibility to expand the audience, not just to be cheerleaders for those who have done the hard work, the real journalists. I don’t see how you confused that point with the implication that I wanted journalists to be other than the recorders of facts.

Although there is some area of overlap just because journalists are people and have their rights to an opinion and to participate as citizens, the journalistic role is as advocate and not activist. To report the news and not make it.

As to reaching the people of Fox news, convince them. Explain in terms that will get them to change their minds from their course that doesn’t agree with the direction that you thing they are missing.

Just remember though, the right to free speech doesn’t guarantee an audience.

I did read the stories that you have posted on the site so far and found them interesting and well written. I can see where you could do a better job by not having to support a quality staff for every organization. If the organizations are committed to not stepping on each other it could work. I could be proven wrong. Hopefully, if it succeeds, it will also not lead to stagnation by having a limited number of voices and stories.

It is interesting to see the growing pains that all forms of journalism are going through. We have seen an explosion of independent blogs coming out on all topics but without editorial oversight, they are not generally held to the higher standard of journalistic integrity. It will be great if your site brings more quality stories that meet the high standards of your parent publications.

I wish you all the best luck.

There are too many freelance “journalists” who believe the new media Field of Dreams premise, that if you build it, someone will come. In fact people tend to turn to those media that will confirm their notions of how the world is rather than challenging them with new information. I have often made the point that those who read this, and comment so freely, need to be taking the next step… that of becoming the local amplifier in local media. It is that idea which led me to talk to the editor of my very local 2 x weekly paper and to get a monthly Green Talk column. I hope that more readers will combat the Unscientific America-n Media by doing the same.

Best,
Clara Jeffery
Co-editor
Mother Jones