On Friday’s 3rd Hour Today show, co-host Craig Melvin touted NBC weatherman Al Roker being featured in climate change pieces in Parade and People magazines ahead of Earth Day next week. Talking to Parade, Roker argued that the climate change agenda was “not political” and his coverage of it was “just the facts.”
“Al Roker is taking over news stands. Earth Day is next week and that means that Al is featured in not one, but two magazines,” Melvin gushed. He informed viewers: “Ladies and gentlemen, you can see him in Sunday’s Parade, wearing his Easter suit there, and he’s also in this week’s People, People magazine as well.”
In response, Roker teased an upcoming “big announcement” about the network’s climate coverage heading into “Earth Week”: “Yeah, we’re very committed to Earth Day, Earth week, next week. And we’ve got a big announcement coming up next week as well concerning Earth Week and the environment and our news coverage.”
Back in September, NBC announced the formation of a “climate unit” headed up by Roker.
During his glowing profile in Parade magazine, Roker proclaimed: “[Climate change] is an issue that affects everybody. It’s not a political issue. It’s not a racial issue. It’s not a gender issue. It’s an everybody issue.” The article eagerly declared: “As national weathercasters and meteorologists use their role as nonpartisan educators on climate solutions, Roker has become a trustworthy source.”
Roker went on to claim that he always takes a “just the facts” approach to his reporting and avoids “hysteria”:
“There’s an old show called Dragnet,” he says. “The character, Joe Friday, was this no-nonsense police detective who would say, ‘Just the facts, ma’am.’ Just the facts. No embellishment. No hysteria. I say here’s what’s happening to our oceans each month. Here’s what’s happening to our global temperatures each month. Here’s what’s happening as far as the increase in rain being generated by storm systems. We just present the facts and let people make the decision and see how they can go about helping—and there are stories day in and day out of people making these changes.”
The inconvenient truth is that Roker has been known for routinely making outlandish statements in order to push his environmentalism:
Al Roker Marvels at Climate Change Exhibit Showing NYC Underwater
D.C. Drowns: NBC Makes Same Hysterical Prediction as 30 Years Ago
Roker Scolds ‘Climate Deniers’: Think of Your Children
NBC Finds God as Al Roker Decries ‘Sin’ of Not Fighting Climate Change
Al Roker Appalled by Poll Showing 37 Percent Believe Global Warming is a Hoax
In People magazine, Roker was included in a special Earth Day issue as part of a piece entitled: “50 Things You Should Know & Do to Help the Planet; Top Experts on Climate Action Share Their Tips.” His was tip number 11, “Use Public Transportation,” in which he touted how in Europe there is “a lot of pressure to travel by train and bus – which caused a big drop in air travel.”
One can only imagine what NBC has planned to push the climate agenda next week – even in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
