'Today' Profiles Global Warming Alarmist

Photo of Geoffrey Dickens.

On Monday's "Today" show, NBC's Bob Dotson profiled Will Steger, a polar explorer who is indoctrinating America's youth about "collapsing" ice shelves and global warming. Dotson never doubted the explorer's theories, instead he chose to portray Steger's work as nothing short of much needed charity work:

"Pitching back in between and forth between the Poles, Will began to notice our warming world, wrote one of the first books about it. Now the old explorer has set himself a new challenge. Here in his home of the great northern Minnesota woods he's teaching the next generation how to rally support and solve the problem."

Dotson didn't ask any skeptical questions or air any soundbites from global warming critics, preferring to set up Steger to pontificate about climate change:

Dotson: "All those years in the wilderness gave Will time to think deeply about why the world is in trouble."

Will Steger, environmentalist: "The real problem was that America is socially disconnected. And the solution lies in connecting socially."

Dotson: "What's tougher? Battling the elements or people's attention spans?"

Steger: "You know it's really the attention span. For 20 years we've been battling the public opinion on global warming but now it's really putting a human face on global warming."

Dotson: "Like Chris Anderson's. He volunteered to help Will but his friends?"

Chris Anderson: "I don't see them out here."

Dotson: "That, of course, is the problem, getting the message to stick. What keeps you going when the circle of caring expands so slowly?"

Steger: "You have to go where, you know, where there's resistance. That's where the adventure lies and that's where, that's where you make changes."

Dotson: "As Will Steger has done in his 62 years. Many preach about saving the planet, Will just puts his boots on and goes. For Today, Bob Dotson, NBC News, with an American Story at the edge of the world."

After the piece the "Today" cast continued the exhortation of Steger:

Ann Curry: "Sobering message about our beautiful planet. When I see a glimpse of it."

Lauer: "Impressive guy."

Curry: "Yeah very..."

Natalie Morales: "A beautiful piece too. A beautiful story."

The following is the full segment as it aired on the August 20th, edition of the "Today" show:

First up Curry, teased viewers at 8:49am with a story of impending danger to the Earth:

Curry: "Up next we'll be talking about a man who travels to the ends of the Earth and now he's raising a red flag about what he's seeing out there. We're gonna meet him in just a moment but first this is Today on NBC."

Then at 8:55am Lauer introduced the Dotson segment:

Matt Lauer: "And Today's American Story with Bob Dotson takes us to the top of the world to meet a man who blazes a trail in frigid surroundings with an eye on the future. Will Steger hikes across continents of ice, so far, more than 40,000 miles and counting."

Bob Dotson: "There is still some land that hasn't felt footsteps. Where the north wind bullies and temperatures cower to 70 below. Into this vast wilderness near the North Pole comes a figure oddly out of place, plodding carefully through massive ice, alone."

Will Steger: "I try to piece together what areas haven't been crossed before."

Dotson: "Will Steger has explored the unknown, a foot at a time, for 40 years."

Steger: "It's only by walking on it and skiing on it, day after day, month after month, that you can get a sense, really, a planetary sense of what's, what's happening here."

Dotson: "He leads legendary polar expeditions."

Steger: "Every ice shelf I've ever been on is collapsing into the ocean. It shows you how fast the climate is changing."

Dotson: "Pitching back in between and forth between the Poles, Will began to notice our warming world, wrote one of the first books about it. Now the old explorer has set himself a new challenge. Here in his home of the great northern Minnesota woods he's teaching the next generation how to rally support and solve the problem."

Steger: "This one went on the North Pole, 86."

Dotson: "Steger doesn't give lectures, he gives himself."

Steger, digging: "See how deep this is here."

Dotson: "Working alongside small groups of kids who want to save the planet."

Steger: "I really believe that this generation is gonna take, take on this. This is gonna be their issue."

Dotson: "Will designed this center where they can talk out solutions."

Steger: "That's a great building stone."

Dotson: "Built it by hand, deep in the woods."

Steger: "And we dog-sledded a million pounds of gravel. Three miles, three hills, all the way to our place."

Dotson: "He approached all this like he did his explorations. A little dreaming, a lot of planning."

Steger: "I bought this land when I was 19."

Dotson: "Made the down payment with a $20 travelers check and a $5 bill, left over from his first expedition. His parents insisted he pay for his adventures."

Steger: "I used to cut lawns, caddied, baby sit my brothers and sisters."

Dotson: "Eight of them."

Steger: "One bathroom, I should add.

Dotson: "They grew up in the Minneapolis suburbs."

Steger: "My parents never camped out a day in their life."

Dotson: "But they gave him the freedom to work for his dream."

Steger: "I put myself through college."

Dotson: "Then taunt himself to survive on the trail. All those years in the wilderness gave Will time to think deeply about why the world is in trouble."

Steger: "The real problem was that America is socially disconnected. And the solution lies in connecting socially."

Dotson: "What's tougher? Battling the elements or people's attention spans?"

Steger: "You know it's really the attention span. For 20 years we've been battling the public opinion on global warming but now it's really putting a human face on global warming."

Dotson: "Like Chris Anderson's. He volunteered to help Will but his friends?"

Chris Anderson: "I don't see them out here."

Dotson: "That, of course, is the problem, getting the message to stick. What keeps you going when the circle of caring expands so slowly?"

Steger: "You have to go where, you know, where there's resistance. That's where the adventure lies and that's where, that's where you make changes."

Dotson: "As Will Steger has done in his 62 years. Many preach about saving the planet, Will just puts his boots on and goes. For Today, Bob Dotson, NBC News, with an American Story at the edge of the world."

Ann Curry: "Sobering message about our beautiful planet. When I see a glimpse of it."

Lauer: "Impressive guy."

Curry: "Yeah very..."

Natalie Morales: "A beautiful piece too. A beautiful story."

—Geoffrey Dickens is the senior news analyst at the Media Research Center.


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This has been going on for

This has been going on for 20 years? And back then we only had 10 years left if we dident act? Why worry now? Seems we are a little late here. We have been blessed with an extended 10 years, and they are still saying we only have 10 years to act. I say, eat, drink and be merry. Global warming will create more fishing places!

Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!

Indoctrinating America's Youth

That's where they hope to win the AGW wars, with emotional appeals to our young people....with the uncritical support of our media.   

"...For 20 years we've been battling the public opinion on global warming but now it's really putting a human face on global warming...."

(read: "we don't have the facts, so we're going with emotionalism")

Sappy new kid's enviro movie written by Al Gore's daughter

Following the same youth indoctrination guideline, there's also the newly released sappy infotainment-for-kids movie, "Artic Tale."

...written by Kristin Gore.

"....we follow a walrus who grows up in a world where melting ice fields force her herd to swin hundreds of miles to rocky islands...."

 

human face

Yah your putting a human face on global warming..., Alfred E. Newman's face

 C'mon!  Alfred E. Neuman

 C'mon!  Alfred E. Neuman is much smarter than that fool.  Besides, Alfred E. Neuman's motto is "What? Me worry?" not "The sky is falling! It's time to panic!"

"A communist is someone who reads Marx.  An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx."  Ronald Reagan

Let's see....

 

Yesterday's high temperature was 64 degrees F where I am at (Pittsburgh, PA) and today it's no better than 66F, in August.  Yes that's AUGUST---SUPPOSEDLY SUMMER. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS GLOBAL WARMING!!!!!!!!!!!!

  

 

You're right.  There is not

You're right.  There is not such thing as global warming.  It's really "cranial warming."  They will get so hot they will explode.   Ugh!   Hot brains all over the place.

Same in Beantown

The drive-home weather report assured us that no, Boston won't actually set a record low temperature tonight, despite what we all think. We'll miss it by 2 degrees.

Now, that's warming for ya!

___________________________________ 

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber

Propaganda

I have made this post before, but I want to post it again to drive home the fact that we should battle this issue locally too. 

I actually had one of my kid's teachers last year show Al Gore's movie. The following is an excerpt of my letter back to the teacher and school board.  Let's derail this global warming train!

Although I am a Professional Environmental Engineer, I admit that I am not an expert on the issue of global warming. However; to borrow words from someone else, I support the principle that young people should be educated, not propagandized -- and I know something about what that means.

One of the most important differences between education and propaganda is how they deal with great controversies.

In education, students are taught about the controversies. In propaganda, they are shielded from them.

In education, students are taught both sides of the important debates.  In propaganda, they are taught only one.

In education, students are taught both the strengths and the weaknesses of the officially favored theory. In propaganda, they are taught only its strengths.

In short, education is the training of minds, while propaganda is the training of prejudices. In a democratic republic, the public schools should not propagandize, but educate.

The mandatory curriculum guidelines for Texas, called Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), agree with me. As we find in the science section of these guidelines, students must learn to "analyze, review, and critique scientific explanations, including hypotheses and theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses using scientific evidence and information." - 19 TAC Chapter 112.7(b)(3)(a)

If the TEKS guidelines agree with me, then what is the issue? The issue is that although students should be taught about both sides of a scientific theoretical controversy, your assignment, based on the description in your permission request, appears to only present one side and are shielded from the weaknesses contained in Al Gore’s video. How can a 5th grade student write a critique about assertions made in a global warming video without having anything to compare and contrast the assertions to? Your permission/assignment sheet gave no indication as to how, if any, the views counter to Al Gore’s video would be taught. In addition, it is not clear what alternate assignment is available to the student should they choose not to view the video.

If the theory of global warming is to be taught in your classroom, I urge that the topic should be taught like the other sciences and like other controversial theories -- with honesty about both sides.

To the Honorable members of the Board: When classroom activities and/or textbooks are biased, you (and the Texas Education Agency) are the check and balance. If global warming is to be taught within PISD, I urge you to require that the scientific data to both sides of this controversy be taught and that not one side be suppressed. To do so would be not only good training in science, but good education in citizenship.

School board

Hope you do not mind me Using some of that letter to my Own School Board.

 

 

go for it.

go for it.

Truth Did you get a

Truth

Did you get a reply?

School Response

Reply from the school??  Nothing substantial, which I guess I expected.  They are formally aware now that teachers are showing AIT and it appears to be one sided.  I tried to convince them that they could be a shining example of how schools could teach this issue, but they didn't seem to care.  They were more interested in surrounding the wagons around their staff.  The thing that floored me was that the District's science coordinator (young lady) said she did not see anything controversial with the issue.  Amazing.  I was successful in providing them a copy of "The Great Global Warming Swindle".  I later received feedback from them about the "Swindle" documentary...they said it was interesting, but probably not appropriate for 5th graders (again, I was floored).  This is obviously an issue that if it is to be fought on the local level, it requires more than one individual to stand up and argue for reason. 

A polite request

"Every ice shelf I've ever been on is collapsing into the ocean."

 

My Heavens, Man.  Please stay off our ice shelves!!  We need those things!!

Every river I RAFTED on flows into the ocean!!.

 What rivers of water can flow..into the ocean

BUT rivers of ice must not!

Colorado River. Ice flows ,water flows.

Why do you think they call it "ice flows"???

Question: that paddeler has "plummers butt", right!

Entitlement over infrastructure every SINGLE time.

 

How Many and where.......

So, this guy talks in high level generalities....ex..

"Every ice shelf I've ever been on is collapsing into the ocean."

So, How many you been on, and where ?  Is it the ones that collapses in Aug. and reforms in Feb. ? 

Were they in the Artic Circle....?  Was it in Canada ?

This is a really in depth story.....It's enough to make you wanna sell your SUV....for a loss.....at least they were digging for facts.

 

What good is a Free Press, if it is a False Press ?   David Foote  GoE

News Flash

The temperature right now in Barrow Alaska is 42 degress. That's not suprising, since the temperature goes well above freezing every summer. It should also not be suprising that some ice will start to melt.

How does that translate to a Lauer and Curry sky is falling emergency.

Can someone send Ann Curry a gift subscription to "It Could Happen Magazine"

Yet Another Talking Head

Just another talking head acting like he actually knowns something. Yes, the world is warming since the LIA (Little Ice Age) and no, human's weren't driving SUVs back in the 1500s when the LIA ended. Less ice during the Summer during a continuous warming cycle? Who would have ever thought that?

Forty years...

....wandering the most desolate areas of the planet...

and we're socially disconnected?

global warming

Great point JPR1. 

I happened to catch Sheryl Crow on Larry King one evening.  She talked about global warming and how it was getting "hot out there." I screamed at the TV: that's because it's September!

 

Thanks Felicty

If it hasn't been said, welcome to Newsbusters. Screaming at the TV may seem a troubling affliction but you've come to the right place. Very cathartic. Just block off three hours a night for a month or so and you'll be good as new. :-)

Ice shelves

This is what we had to read in December 2006.

http://www.msnbc.msn...

Breakaway may 'signal the onset of accelerated change,' researchers say

'Consistent with climate change'
Some scientists say it is the largest event of its kind in Canada in nearly 30 years and that climate change was a major element.

Notice how they say biggest event in 30 years while failling to say What event?

A little more digging about this and ...Voila!

http://pubs.aina.uca...

The 30 year old event was? The same Ice shelve had collapse!

3000 to 4500 year old Ice?

 

 

 

 

  Mr. Steger is a

  Mr. Steger is a professional camper and the head of a big enviro enterprise. 

  Here's a couple of nuggets from his FAQ's:

Isn't there still a big debate about whether or not global warming is actually happening and whether or not humans have anything to do with it?

Written by FAQ Team
No. The debate is over. There is international consensus that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2001; Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, 2004, p.2) Since the publication of those reports, scientists have collected even stronger evidence from ice cores, ocean sediment cores and increasingly sophisticated computer modeling. Even Exxon now admits that the burning of fossil fuels contributes to global warming.

Is there any hope of slowing global warming?

Written by FAQ Team
Yes. We have the knowledge and technology we need to help us reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases, but we must act aggressively and act now. The long atmospheric residence time of greenhouse gases and the thermal inertia of the oceans mean that even if we stopped all emissions today, the climate would continue to warm for a few hundred years. This is not a reason to give up -- it is a call to action to avoid the potentially devastating effects of global warming.

 whoa there pardner!  Even if we stopped all emissions today we would continue to warm 'for a few hundred years'!  We are not going to zero emission today so how many hundreds of years are we talking about?  Somebody look around for Rod Sirling for I think we have entered the Twilight Zone.

Shows me *nothing*

Steger: "Every ice shelf I've ever been on is collapsing into the ocean. It shows you how fast the climate is changing."

And how fast is that? How many ice shelves has he been on? Jeez, were there violins playing and angels' voices, too, as Anne Curry said: "Sobering message about our beautiful planet. When I see a glimpse of it."

When she sees a glimpse of it? Sounds like she doesn't get out much yet she's willing to let others decide what's going on out there. These guys are masters at puff pieces.

Groan. I'm weighted under the sham of AGW propaganda and the silly FlexYourPower.com ads on TV and radio here in California that use "global warming" as a rallying point in an absolutely nonsensical fashion. Annoying little buggers. 

 

 

 

parody of info in MidAmerica's post

Is there any hope of slowing global warming?

Written by FAQ Team

Yes. We have all the tents set up for the entire population of North America and pit-digging using carbon-friendly shovels has begun. The rest of the world will fall-in lockstep. When done, we'll have enough "green" johns and left-over ethanol corn husks for everyone which will help reduce our emissions by one millioneth of a percent give or take a few ppm. We must act sheepishly now. The long atmospheric residence time and thermal inertia of the what-cha-ma-call-zits-I-forget mean that even after we go back to living in caves and eating berries and nuts and tribal warfare and dragging women off by their hair, etc., the climate would continue to be the same anyway but we won't know it because all the scientists will be extinct. We won't care because we'll be too busy dealing with death from diseases that used to be controlled. This is not a reason to give up -- it is a call to pay attention to us to avoid the potentially devastating effects of global warming---or was it cooling? Did I say "potentially"? -- you didn't hear that. Thanks for asking!

Will Steger

"Will just puts his boots on and goes."

Souns like he's been doing this since he left the wonb.

 

If it ain't broke, why screw it up.