Lauer: Global Warming 'Literally Could Be End of World as We Know It'

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The world could be coming to an end, but not to worry: "the Democrats are now in charge of Congress." That, in a nutshell, was NBC's message on global warming on this morning's "Today."

Here's how Matt Lauer, apparently in the throes of a global-warming panic attack, kicked off the segment:

"Now to a controversy in Washington over what literally could be the end of the world as we know it."

View video here.

The segment focused on allegations, made before a hearing chaired by Rep. Henry Waxman [D-CA] by the advocacy group the Union of Concerned Scientists, that the Bush administration has pressured scientists to downplay the threat of global warming.

Andrea Mitchell narrated the segment, and began with a clip of reporters from NBC's UK affiliate ITN on a boat in Antartica making concerned noises over melting icebergs. Andrea, they do tend to do that in the summer, which it now is in the austral.

We were then treated to clips of McCain, Obama and Hillary all making appropriately concerned noises. McCain was the most emphatic: "The argument about climate change is over. Now it's time to act."

The statement by Hillary might be variously interpreted: "Emissions are still going up."

Andrea Mitchell held out a ray of hope to an anxious world: "What has changed? The Democrats are now in charge of Congress, and there's a growing consensus that fossil fuel emissions the ice cap, with the prospect of dire consequences for the planet."

By the way, Ian Murray asserts in this NRO item that the allegations by the Union of Concerned Scientists are so much "junk science."

ABC Update: GMA was on the global warming beat, too. Introducing weatherman Sam Champion, Robin Roberts noted "everyone knows how passionate you are about global warming." Champion offered some alarmism regarding the coming dire impacts of global warming. Noting that on the occasion of a global warming conference in Paris, authorities will turn off the lights on the Eiffel Tower for five minutes, Champion enthused that it was a "neat thing."

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net