On New Day Saturday, CNN weekend anchor Christi Paul and fill-in co-host Martin Savidge gave a forum to Dr. Inger Anderson of the UN Environment Program to give an alarmist view of the world climate's future as she predicted that global warming caused by humans would lead to catastrophic consequences in the form of increased natural disasters.
At 6:25 a.m. Eastern, Savidge recalled that millions of climate activists are protesting around the world in the leadup to a Monday climate conference in Madrid. He soon noted the UN report claiming that there is currently a "climate crisis" that is approaching a "tipping point." Savidge:
SAVIDGE: In Washington, actress Jane Fonda led another protest as part of a series called "Fire Drill Fridays." Thirty-eight people were arrested during those demonstrations. All of this comes as a new United Nations report finds the current climate crisis is pushing us to a global tipping point. Scientists warn that it could be too late to prevent temperatures around the world from rising to near catastrophic levels.
Co-host Paul jumped in to further hype: "Whether it's extreme heat, pollution, wildfires, intensified flooding or droughts, the data is showing us the current situation is getting worse by the day."
After introducing the show's guest for the segment, Paul then began by posing: "So there's this new report in the journal, Nature, that shows growing evidence to suggest these changes we're seeing re irreversible, and that it's happening specifically in nine locations. What are those locations? And what is happening?"
After his guest's pessimistic assessment, Savidge followed up: "What are the greatest environmental threats to the Earth currently?" Anderson further fretted about the future and suggested human action is needed to prevent dire consequences:
ANDERSON: Our friends at the World Meteorological Foundation have already indicated that we have raised 1.1 degrees in terms of global warming because of our procrastination, if you like. We are now heading towards, if we continue, we're heading to about 3.2 degrees to seven degrees depending on how we behave. So what we now need to do is we need to make a massive cut in our carbon emissions.
Failing that, we will see exactly the kind of scenario that was introduced at the beginning of this piece -- increased fires, increased heat waves, increased flooding, increased intensity of storms. And those areas that are already living in quite marginal rainfall will find it even more marginal, therefore, and shorter in timespan. Therefore, not long enough to secure harvesting. So we will see millions of people on the move, pushed out by their ecosystems essentially being uninhabitable.
Below is a transcript of relevant portions of the November 30 New Day Saturday:
MARTIN SAVIDGE: Millions of protesters across the world are marching for action against climate change. The demonstrations are happening just days before a United Nations climate conference begins in Madrid that will be Monday.
CHRISTI PAUL: This is happening in the U.S., in France, in India. Protesters calling on world leaders to step up their efforts against carbon gas emissions and other environmental issues. Now, some protesters disrupted Black Friday shopping, entering stores, blocking shopping malls, chanting with signs.
SAVIDGE: In Washington, actress Jane Fonda led another protest as part of a series called "Fire Drill Fridays." Thirty-eight people were arrested during those demonstrations. All of this comes as a new United Nations report finds the current climate crisis is pushing us to a global tipping point. Scientists warn that it could be too late to prevent temperatures around the world from rising to near catastrophic levels.
PAUL: Whether it's extreme heat, pollution, wildfires, intensified flooding or droughts, the data is showing us the current situation is getting worse by the day. So joining us from Kenya, Inger Anderson, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Program. So there's this new report in the journal, Nature, that shows growing evidence to suggest these changes we're seeing re irreversible, and that it's happening specifically in nine locations. What are those locations? And what is happening?
[INGER ANDERSON, UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM]
SAVIDGE: What are the greatest environmental threats to the Earth currently?
INGER ANDERSON: Well, our friends at the World Meteorological Foundation have already indicated that we have raised 1.1 degrees in terms of global warming because of our procrastination, if you like. We are now heading towards, if we continue, we're heading to about 3.2 degrees to seven degrees depending on how we behave. So what we now need to do is we need to make a massive cut in our carbon emissions.
Failing that, we will see exactly the kind of scenario that was introduced at the beginning of this piece -- increased fires, increased heat waves, increased flooding, increased intensity of storms. And those areas that are already living in quite marginal rainfall will find it even more marginal, therefore, and shorter in timespan. Therefore, not long enough to secure harvesting. So we will see millions of people on the move, pushed out by their ecosystems essentially being uninhabitable.
