On Friday’s Today show, NBC weatherman and climate change activist Al Roker promoted a social media campaign to push the liberal agenda item, which included wearing a pin meant to represent the planet’s warming temperatures. He even had help from a local meteorologist at NBC’s Washington D.C. affiliate.
In the 7:30 a.m. ET half hour, instead of a weather report, viewers got yet another climate lecture from Roker:
Well, you know, today is the first day of summer, the summer solstice, it happens at 11:54 a.m., and it’s #ShowYourStripes day, about climate change. You look back at 1850, all these stripes actually show each year, as the year deviates from the norm. So as we get toward 2018, you can see how much warmer it gets across the globe.
He even highlighted temperature changes in individual states before focusing on the Arctic: “But look at this, the Arctic Ocean, look at how solid the red is. This shows the deviation of temperatures as you get toward 2018, and that’s where that warming is happening twice as fast as anywhere else around the world.”
As Roker threw to the local forecast, in the Washington D.C. area, viewers saw meteorologist Chuck Bell of local NBC affiliate WRC-4 add to the Today show weatherman’s message:
That’s right, it is show your stripes day for us broadcast meteorologists around the country. So you can always go and read the National Climate Assessment. That is the official statement policy – statement of facts from all 17 U.S. agencies that took place. So you can Google “National Climate Assessment” to learn more about our changing climate and how we can make moves to improve our situation in the future.
When coverage returned to the New York broadcast, Roker noted: “#ShowYourStripes. Probably your local NBC weather person is showing your local area today with their stripes.”
The #ShowYourStripes effort has been promoted by activist organizations like Climate Central, which Roker has cited before when climbing atop his climate soapbox.
Roker’s dedication to the climate change cause has been so consistent that back in December, Al Gore actually thanked him for his “longtime attention to the climate crisis.”
Minutes prior to Roker’s activism on Friday, co-host Craig Melvin delivered a news brief touting Oregon’s Democratic governor calling on state police to “round up” Republican lawmakers and force them to show up at the state house for a vote on climate change legislation:
The Democratic governor of Oregon has sent state police to round up Republican lawmakers and bring them back to the state capitol. Eleven Republicans walked out yesterday to derail a vote on a climate change bill. That left the senate without the minimum needed to move forward. By last night, state police said that several senators have been contacted and that officers would go to great lengths to avoid physically arresting and handcuffing them.
If Democrats eventually create climate police, Roker might be one of their first recruits.
Here is a full transcript of the June 21 segment:
7:35 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Let’s turn to Al, get a check of the weather. What’s shaking?
AL ROKER: Well, you know, today is the first day of summer, the summer solstice, it happens at 11:54 a.m., and it’s #ShowYourStripes day, about climate change. You look back at 1850, all these stripes actually show each year, as the year deviates from the norm. So as we get toward 2018, you can see how much warmer it gets across the globe.
Well, let’s take a look at each of our individual states. For example, my home state, New York, cool, and we’ve got a few deviations, some warmer stripes. But as you get to 2018, you see all the red. We move to South Carolina, Craig’s home state – or Arizona, I should say, Savannah’s – you can see as we get to 2018, far more red stripes. And South Carolina, again, more red stripes.
But look at this, the Arctic Ocean, look at how solid the red is. This shows the deviation of temperatures as you get toward 2018, and that’s where that warming is happening twice as fast as anywhere else around the world. So we’re watching that very closely. That’s what’s going on around the country. Here’s what’s happening in your neck of the woods.
CHUCK BELL [WRC-4 METEOROLOGIST] That’s right, it is show your stripes day for us broadcast meteorologists around the country. So you can always go and read the National Climate Assessment. That is the official statement policy – statement of facts from all 17 U.S. agencies that took place. So you can Google “National Climate Assessment” to learn more about our changing climate and how we can make moves to improve our situation in the future. High today, 84. Sunny and dry for the weekend.
ROKER: #ShowYourStripes. Probably your local NBC weather person is showing your local area today with their stripes.
CRAIG MELVIN: Got it.
GUTHRIE: Alright, Al, thank you so much.
