Here’s the mentality of your average journalist when it comes to global warming: Casually suggest that “some people are ashamed to fly” because of climate change. That’s what CBS This Morning co-host Tony Dokoupil did on Thursday, lecturing Virgin Travel founder Richard Branson. Talking about the Paris Climate Accords, Dokoupil scolded, “The Biden administration has announced that America will reenter those accords to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gases. Your industry, travel, is the single greatest emitter of greenhouse gases.”
He then lectured the job creator, “Some people are ashamed to fly because they think it's such a problem. You make money that way. What do you want the Biden administration to do to address the problem? What are you willing to do to address the problem?”
How often does Dokoupil fly? His wife, MSNBC journalist Katy Tur, has family in Los Angeles. Are these two wealthy hosts ashamed to fly? Do they drive to the west coast?
On Wednesday, the networks dismissed the job-killing threat posed by Joe Biden reentering the Paris Climate Accords. CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell lectured, “And with scientists warning of more extreme weather due to climate change, today President Biden everyone took action to confront what he calls an existential threat.”
On Thursday, This Morning did a little better in an earlier segment. Guest co-host Michelle Miller pointing out that of Biden’s executive orders: “One of them blocks any new leases for oil and gas drilling on public lands. His critics say that's bad for business and jobs.” Reporter Ed O'Keefe added, "Mr. Biden is freezing permits to drill for oil in offshore waters and banning any new oil and gas leases on federal lands. Critics like Todd Staples of the Texas Oil and Gas Association say that decision will result in big job losses."
But this is also the same show that cheered on radical climate teenager Greta Thunberg. On August 29, 2019, This Morning co-host Gayle King touted, “Now, she chose not to fly because of the environmental impact of jet travel. While she says she would actually rather be a normal teenager, she says somebody has to take a stand on climate change.”
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Transcripts are below. Click “expand” to read more.
CBS This Morning
1/28/2021
7:11
MICHELLE MILLER: President Biden has launched a new government effort to fight global warming, signing a series of executives orders. One of them blocks any new leases for oil and gas drilling on public lands. His critics say that's bad for business and jobs. Ed O'Keefe is at the White House. Ed, good morning.
ED O’KEEFE: Good morning. Great to see you. Remember when he took office, President Biden said the country's fighting multiple crises -- the pandemic, a sagging economy, racial and political divisions, and climate change. As he tries to fight that issue, there are some critics concerned that the changes he's trying to make could further upset the economy.
JOE BIDEN: In my view we've already waited too long to deal with to climate crisis. We can't wait any longer.
O’KEEFE: President Biden is planning to make the fight against climate change a core part of U.S. foreign policy for the first time. He's also establishing a White House office of domestic climate policy and ordering the government to begin buying zero-emissions vehicles.
BIDEN: This will mean one million new jobs in the American automobile industry.
O’KEEFE: The Biden approach is a big change from former President Trump who pulled the United States out of the global Paris Climate Accord and rolled back more than 100 environmental regulations, arguing they slowed economic growth.
TRUMP: I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.
O’KEEFE: With an economy already hit hard by COVID-19, the president said his plan will create jobs.
BIDEN: When I think of climate change and the answers to it, ,I think of jobs.
O’KEEFE: Mr. Biden is freezing permits to drill for oil in offshore waters and banning any new oil and gas leases on federal lands. Critics like Todd Staples of the Texas Oil and Gas Association say that decision will result in big job losses.
TOD STAPLES (Texas Oil and Gas President): Not producing it here means it makes us dependent on other countries for this energy source because there's a great deal of infrastructure that is necessary for renewable energies.
O’KEEFE: But newly appointed U.S. Climate envoy John Kerry says the changes will lead to economic benefits.
JOHN KERRY: There are countless economic analyses now that show that it is now cheaper to deal with the crisis of climate than it is to ignore it.
O’KEEFE: Important to note again that this executive order only applies to new drilling on federal lands. Also today here at the White House, the President turning his attention to health care policy. Signing an executive order that will reopen the HealthCare.gov website beginning in mid-February for three months. It's designed to allow those that have lost their jobs in health care during the pandemic to sign up for government-backed plan. Tony?
8:17
TONY DOKOUPIL: Sorry to interrupt there. Sir Richard, Tony Dokoupil here. Once upon a time, we met in Paris. I was one of an array of journalists who interviewed you ahead of the Paris Accords in 2016. The Biden administration has announced that America will reenter those accords to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gases. Your industry, travel, is the single greatest emitter of greenhouse gases. Some people are ashamed to fly because they think it's such a problem. You make money that way. What do you want the Biden administration to do to address the problem. What are you willing to do to address the problem?
RICHARD BRANSON: Well, the Paris talks was a great breakthrough, and every country in the world signed up to it. And only -- we never, ever expected America to walk away from it. I think that all of us need to play our parts. And you know, I mean, Virgin set up organizations like the Carbon War Room that has now merged into the Rocky Mountain Institute to help companies all over the world to -- to take as much carbon out of their businesses as possible. And you know, a list of other things, whether It's the B team or the eldest that we've set up to try to address -- help address the problem. I think that with this administration they've set goals that are getting to carbon neutral by, you know, well, by 2050. And I think with business leaders and government working together we can get there. Airlines, you know, they're becoming more and more fuel efficient. Virgin Atlantic, much more fuel efficient and much less carbon emitting. And that needs to continue step by step.
