[Imc-uk-features] feature proposal: A Taste Of Things To Come

[WietsE]

startx wrote:
> On Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:39:04 +0100
> WietsE <wietse at indymedia.org> wrote:
>
>   
>> Hiya,
>>
>> I'd like to propose this feature about the recent floods and climate 
>> change to the UK, Notts and Sheffield site as well as the climate
>> chaos topic.
>>
>> https://docs.indymedia.org/view/Local/NottsFeaturePage2
>>
>> Cheers, Wietse
>>
>>     
>
> hi everybody.
>
> a quick response as its late but i have serious objections against 
> this feature: not the climate change is not an important issue, but i
> cannot see any movement related issues the the feature as it is. the
> feature is almost only referring to very
> suspicious sources as tabloid press, stupid politicians, and lots of 
> links to mainstream media as the star and bbc.
>   

Hi,

There are some local media links to give a wider overview of the events. 
These links were only added later after some people in IRC suggested it. 
They could be removed, but I can't see the problem as Indymedia has 
linked to other media sources about specific issues or events on many 
occasions before. The article links to 12 indymedia articles, 6 local 
media sites and 3 background links. The links to the local media are 
given in the full body of the article and right towards the end of the 
article.

Secondly, this IS an activist issue. Do you think it isn't a 'movement 
related' issue because it hasn't directly affected the 'activist 
community' ? Here is Notts and in Sheffield local communities have been 
very badly hit by these floods, and there serious social implications, 
not just in the global south. Here in the UK it will be those less 
wealthy who will be most likely to be worst affected by floods as 
insurance companies are already in the process of drafting new policies 
and rates for home owners within 'flood plain areas'. Currently around 
12% of all land in England is classed as 'flood plains'.

>> Even the tabloids are linking the storms to climate change. The
>> Mirror reported that "Flood damage is becoming more common because of
>> global warming" while warning that insurance companies will
>> increasingly refuse to insure homes built on flood plains.
>>     
>
> well, some tabloiad reported that "the sun will explode soon" or that 
> the end of the world is near (thats a tabloid issue once a year at
> least). if you want to convince people that climate change is a
> serious issue, better dont quote such sources.
>   

The quote is relevant as it shows a shift in the way the national media 
is reporting on this issue. It is thus relevant to the story.

>> (former) Prime Minister, Tony Blair said that he thought the floods
>> were related to such major global issues in his joint press
>> conference with Arnold Schwarzenegger. While the met office warns of
>> further storms to come during the next week, 
>>     
>
> uuh, i wouldnt believe blair or schwarzenegger even if they say the
> earth is ball-shaped.
>
>   
>> Sir David King warned
>> that in the long-term, as Greenland ice disappeared, rising sea
>> levels would wipe out Britain's coastal town and cities. "The message
>> that climate change is the biggest change our civilisation has ever
>> had to face up to is getting out there.
>>     
>
> sorry again, it might be somehow true, but britain will probably one of
> the last countries in the world suffering under climate change, before
> that happens, millions of poeple will be dead in asia and other
> countries of the global south. there might be some truth in what he
> says, but well ... 

I disagree with this. Just because England is a richer nation than some 
in the global south, doesn't mean its less likely to be affected by 
climate change. Again, this IS an activist issue, well at least it is 
here in the regions that have been affected by this. It is one of the 
first times that the effects of climate change have 'hit home' if you 
know what i mean. In my opinion it is really important to report on 
that. Also as both Tash and Chris have bothered to go out in the 
miserable weather to get some excellent photography onto the newswire.

Wietse.