Update added at bottom of post.
"There's many simple, even money-saving ways that we can actually give our little bit of help in our own lives and in our own homes and make a little bit of a difference," said weatherman Sam Champion on April 19 "Good Morning America."
But when it came to cost, the April 19 USA Today contradicted Champion:
“Products that help people use less energy – or leave a smaller ‘environmental footprint,’ as green advocates say – often are more costly than their alternatives, causing some to argue that going green is only for those who can afford it,” said USA Today.
Champion's segment focused on a special energy-efficient home built by BASF The Chemical Company that is 80 percent more energy efficient than other houses.
The home incorporates wood from environmentally protected sources, furniture cushions made from plastic soda bottles, compact fluorescent lighting, modular recycled rug tiles, bamboo bedding, and laminate molding made of pressed wheat instead of solid wood.
Showing off keen journalistic skills, Champion asked questions like, “What is so green about this kitchen? It looks pretty normal,” and “Why do we love bamboo?” He did not mention any extra home construction costs.
BASF media contact Mark Stephenson told the Business & Media Institute that the home did require additional costs of about 5 percent to make the structure (walls, ceilings and floors) so energy efficient.
But, Stephenson added, there is an immediate costs savings of 80 percent in utility expenses.
Champion also interviewed Chassie Post of Domino magazine about eco-friendly bedroom furnishings, but left cost considerations to the very last:
“Now quickly about the cost, I know some of this is gonna be more expensive and that’s what a lot of folks are going to talk about. Is it always more expensive to do the healthy, green thing?” Champion asked.
"Great news. Not anymore, not anymore," was Post's reply.
Editor's Update: For all things Champion at NewsBusters, check our archive of Champion posts. Additionally, Seymour's Business & Media Institute (BMI) has a comprehensive run-down of MRC and BMI material on global warming in a Web page entitled "Climate of Bias."
—Julia A. Seymour is an assistant editor for the Business & Media Institute.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
"...more expensive to do
April 19, 2007 - 16:47 ET by mattm"...more expensive to do the healthy, green thing."
Absolute B.S.!* The "healthy, green thing" is responsible for the short life-span of rural Africans and aboriginal people all over the world who live in a pre-industrial state - living "green" on about 15 cents a day...
What's truly healthy and green is the proliferation of freedom and free-enterprise. It's no coincidence that the "greenest" countries are also the most capitalistic ones, whereas the most polluted and unhealthy countries are the most socialist or totalitarian.
*I'm not disputing increased costs of the so-called "green" lifestyle - but that increase is only necessary if you expect to live at the current Western standard of living. We could live "green" and cheap if we all reverted back to 1850's living...
1850's would be problematic s
April 19, 2007 - 19:38 ET by ahusser1850's would be problematic since I don't think there is enough whales for whale oil for 6 billion human beings. The only thing left is coal and wood. Probably no more forests either for the 6 billion of us. Gee the left might actually have to think of a realistic way to for us to use less energy. Might be able to burn junk mail. I wouldn't mind having an energy efficient home to live to keep my ever increasing gas and electric bill in check except it costs so much that I would forever be in the red having the savings pay for the remodel.
1850s
April 19, 2007 - 19:48 ET by RJThere was a great article recently about how petroleum is responsible for making life much more healthy than it was back then.
The smell of horse dung and p*ss, the flies and bacteria it was host to, the mud roads, etc, etc. It went on at some length and was pretty revealing about how the idealized life the greenies dream of never existed.
Rj During the last energy
April 19, 2007 - 20:24 ET by ahusserRj
During the last energy crunch in the early 80's almost all the energy saving stuff was so expensive or off the wall that you would never recoup your costs. The only inexpensive thing I found was shrink wrap covering over your windows in the winter. Also re: the 1850's dont forget the dead animals all over the place. Some call it an addiction but oil has saved many whales and forests. I could ride a honda 50 with 244 mpg if I didn't have to share an SUV radiator with some bugs.
ahusser, how's this for insane?
April 19, 2007 - 20:30 ET by RJWe had a guy here in CT who covered his entire house in aluminum foil to save energy... ;^>
Yeah...
April 19, 2007 - 20:37 ET by Mr. BishopNeedless to say, the neighbors dropped by later on, started a big fire, and brought along a giant tub of butter for the giant baked potato.
"Stop global warming! Asphyxiate a liberal!" - Show us how far you're willing to go to stop "global warming"
Population problem
April 19, 2007 - 21:34 ET by nkviking75I guess that would take care of that pesky overpopulation problem in about a generation, eh?
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
There's no such thing as a
April 19, 2007 - 19:00 ET by Carbon SasquatchThere's no such thing as a free lunch, or free energy. Supposed 'green' alternative sources black up pretty fast if you look at the upstream and downstream pollution. Windmills sit on giant steel towers manufactured in China, where carbon emissions get a free pass. Hybrid cars use massive batteries which need to be replaced every five years or so, as do the storage cells for stand-alone solar. Making silicon wafers for photo-voltaic panels is an energy-intense process. The ethanol business stands to use up the corn production capacity of this country in short order, ethanol produces less energy when burned than gasoline (lower mileage) and then there's this...
Sam Champion...from Wikipedia
April 19, 2007 - 20:14 ET by sembySam Champion...from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sam Champion (born Alfred Samuel Campmann in August of 1961) is the weather anchor of ABC's Good Morning America and weather editor of ABC News.
Champion holds a B.A. in broadcast news from Eastern Kentucky University.
He will also contribute to weather and environment-related stories for ABC News programs. Champion is not a meteorologist, but he gained weather forecasting knowledge through his broadcast work.
When global warmists talk abo
April 19, 2007 - 20:37 ET by gideonmjamesWhen global warmists talk about a "carbon footprint" they're talking about a CARBON DIOXIDE footprint ... the very substance upon which all plantlife on THRIVES.
I haven't heard more idiotic "science" since the time when the world's intellectual elite said the earth was FLAT.
Throw in the record cold temperatures being set in Russia, Canada, the U.S., and Antarctica in the past 5 years and you're going to get a (pointless) case for global COOLING.
What I'm worried about is global HUMIDITY ... that's what REALLY needs massive government and U.N. regulation.
What is needed is Tort reform
April 20, 2007 - 02:04 ET by upcountrywaterWhat is needed is Tort reform: If a bottling company can reuse their bottles over and over again that is truely recycling. However if someone finds a cigerette butt in their soda, BLAMMO they win 10 million bucks. That is why we have all the throw away bottles.
Can someone forrage at the dump and find stuff to reuse NOOOO, could fall down get hurt, another 10 million Bucks..
One mans trash is another mans treasure. NOPE not anymore it's: sue uu!
Detonated Plutomium has a very large carbon footprint.