Extinction Rebellion, Earth Uprising Protest Fox News for the #MediaClimateStrike in NYC
Nationwide protests demand all media outlets to tell the truth about the global climate crisis
By Diara J. Townes
Environmental activists and students gathered outside Fox News headquarters on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan today, in an effort to bring nationwide attention to the growing climate crisis.
“It’s an emergency. There’s no time to lose,” said Nydia Leaf, 86, from the Upper West Side. “We have to wake people up from the fake news, the real fake news.”
She and more than a dozen other activists joined Alexandria Villaseñor, the 14-year-old student organizer of the #FridaysForFuture student climate movement in New York City, and founder of the youth global climate action group Earth Uprising.
Friday’s strike is the first of eight Earth Uprising has planned for the summer, beginning with the media industry.
“They’re missing the reality of the situation,” said Nadia Rohrs, 56. “I was ten years old when I went to the first Earth Day, learning about global warming from the scientists. Not seeing any action today is really distressing.”
The activists expressed frustration at the general absence of acknowledgement in the media of links between our dynamically changing climate and the rest of society’s issues, such as declining public health and income inequality.
A line about the heat wave that’s roasting Europe this week ran across the giant electronic crawl on the Fox News building behind the activists.
While no one is surprised that Fox didn’t mention climate change as the cause of the heat waves, there was opportunity for mainstream print, broadcast and digital news sources to do so.
The jet stream’s dip is pulling dry, hot air from the Sahara desert and blanketing Europe with extreme heat. Some scientists believe the jet stream’s dip is linked to the increasing temperatures in the Arctic.
A Google search of “Heat Wave Europe” results in news stories on record-breaking temps, schools being closed and even the Women’s World Cup match.
Now these stories are important. However, the link to this extreme heat as one of many results of increasing temperatures and carbon pollution caused by humans, such as the burning of coal, oil and fossil fuels, agri-business and wasteful military practices, were either buried towards the end of the story or not mentioned at all.
“People in power won’t push for change. They won’t.”
“We expect the deniers on Fox News,” said Extinction Rebellion activist Nadia Rohrs, 56, from Brooklyn. “But, I expect more from our reliable news outlets. They need to do better.”
When asked which news sources she turns to for her climate news, she and her girlfriend Liza Wilcox, 53, both said Democracy Now and The Guardian. “It’s the language,” said Wilcox. “The Guardian made thoughtful changes to reflect our reality. They had the guts to be honest about what’s happening.”
“People in power won’t push for change. They won’t,” continued Rohrs. “Its up to us. It’s up to us to repel from buildings and to lie in the streets,” she added, referring to Extinction Rebellion’s protest at the New York Times building on 42nd street last weekend that resulted in 70 activists being arrested.
“You got to give people information so they feel empowered, not frightened,” said Leaf. “We talk like its happening out there, in another country, but it’s here.”
Olivia Wohlgemuth feels likewise.
The 16-year-old theatre student at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts saw how Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg pushed for change in her country, and around the world. “I just thought, if she can, I can.”
Olivia joined Villasenor’s local branch of #FridaysForFuture, and led a thousand of her fellow classmates on a walkout on the worldwide #YouthClimateStrike on March 15. “It was incredible, and so empowering.”
She felt the urgency of the climate movement and researched the issue while in school. By studying the facts, Olivia clearly understands the importance of effective climate science communication.
“I just thought, if she can, I can.”
“The media needs to start recognizing the climate crisis for what it is. The Guardian is doing a great job in Europe, but its not really happening in America. The New York Times covers climate more which is good, but they aren’t taking a stance; they aren’t treating it like a crisis, like an emergency or with immediacy,” she said firmly.
“I’m going into my senior year,” she said with a smile when asked about what’s next for her.
“I’m thinking about college, maybe politics and legislation. Then sometimes I think I want to do community activism, or major in environmental law and policy,” she said, as her friends began chanting next to her.
“And I want to take journalism classes, too,” she added, making one particular environmental journalism student beam. “It’s important to know that all skill sets are valuable in this fight to end the climate crisis.”
Earth Uprising will be protesting industries and corporations on Friday, July 5th, focusing on the damage corporations are doing to the climate system and planet.
