Media Matters - Science and Environment

Media Matters - Science and Environment http://mediamatters.org/tools/syndication/tag_rss/science_and_environment This link is for use by RSS-enabled software to retrieve Media Matters items matching the term: Science and Environment en-US Copyright 2008, Media Matters for America If Savage was smearing only misdiagnoses of autism, why did he previously call autism itself a "phony disease"? http://mediamatters.org/items/200807230006 In a rebroadcast of The Savage Nation that aired on the program July 9, portions of which were previously included in a YouTube clip posted on June 30, Michael Savage acknowledged having called autism "a phony disease." The rebroadcast undermines his claim that when he characterized autism as "[a] fraud, a racket" on July 16, Savage was drawing a distinction between the "truly autistic" and those who have been misdiagnosed. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807230006 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:25:43 EST Savage falsely recasts autism remarks to claim he was "take[n] out of context" http://mediamatters.org/items/200807220003 Michael Savage recast July 16 comments he made about autism in order to claim that he was "take[n] out of context." Savage falsely suggested that his comments distinguished between "the truly autistic" and those he described on July 21 as "the misdiagnosed, the falsely diagnosed, and the outright fakers in the autism field." http://mediamatters.org/items/200807220003 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:09:43 EST On Meet the Press, Brokaw attributed proposal for gas-tax holiday to Clinton, but not McCain http://mediamatters.org/items/200807210005 On Meet the Press, Tom Brokaw asked Al Gore if, on the subject of renewable energy, "Hillary Clinton reset this debate when she said there should be a summer holiday on the federal gas tax." But Brokaw did not mention that Sen. John McCain also proposed a gas-tax holiday or that one of his top advisers still touts the plan as "the best stimulus package we can have right now." http://mediamatters.org/items/200807210005 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:29:57 EST Savage on autism: "A fraud, a racket. ... In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out" http://mediamatters.org/items/200807170005 On his nationally syndicated radio show, Michael Savage claimed that autism is "[a] fraud, a racket. ... I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.' " http://mediamatters.org/items/200807170005 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:22:43 EST NBC's Mitchell again failed to challenge false assertion that Katrina didn't result in oil spills http://mediamatters.org/items/200807160004 On MSNBC Live, Andrea Mitchell again failed to challenge the false assertion that Hurricane Katrina did not result in any oil spills, despite a report prepared for the U.S. Minerals Management Service that found 5,552 barrels of oil and petroleum products were spilled from Outer Continental Shelf structures as a result of damage caused by Katrina. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807160004 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:13:42 EST Wash. Post, LA Times failed to note Energy Department's assessment of effect of offshore drilling on oil prices http://mediamatters.org/items/200807150007 The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times each reported that "Democrats and environmental groups" say that allowing new offshore drilling would not have an effect on oil and gas prices in the next several years. They did not note that it is not just Democrats and environmental groups that say this: The Bush Energy Department has determined that production from offshore drilling "would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030" and that such production is expected to have an "insignificant" effect on "average wellhead prices." http://mediamatters.org/items/200807150007 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:35:47 EST Wash. Post headline -- "Offshore drilling backed as remedy for oil prices" -- undermined by article itself http://mediamatters.org/items/200807140005 The Washington Post ran an article under the headline "Offshore Drilling Backed as Remedy for Oil Prices," but the article itself noted that "the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration [EIA] said that .... 'Because oil prices are determined on the international market, however, any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant.' " The article also noted that the EIA said that "access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030." http://mediamatters.org/items/200807140005 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:46:10 EST O'Reilly claimed "when Katrina hit, none of the oil rigs spilled in Louisiana," but didn't note that 5,552 barrels spilled into Gulf http://mediamatters.org/items/200807100009 On his radio program, Bill O'Reilly stated, "Remember when Katrina hit, none of the oil rigs spilled in Louisiana." However, O'Reilly did not note that according to a report prepared for the federal government by an international consulting firm, Hurricane Katrina resulted in 70 spills from outer continental shelf structures with a total volume of approximately 5,552 barrels of oil and petroleum products, including 27 spills from platforms and rigs that resulted in the spilling of approximately 2,843 barrels of petroleum. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807100009 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:50:00 EST "[L]ive from an oil rig": NBC, MSNBC aired multiple reports on offshore drilling without explaining "environmental concerns" or disclosing GE's drilling connection http://mediamatters.org/items/200807020005 NBC's Today and Nightly News and MSNBC Live aired segments in which correspondent Janet Shamlian reported live from an offshore drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. But while two of Shamlian's reports included quotes from a Chevron spokesperson, none of her reports included an interview with or quote from environmental organizations or explained the "environmental concerns" that Shamlian acknowledged exist. Further, neither Shamlian nor the hosts and anchors disclosed that General Electric, which owns 80 percent of NBC Universal, also has an affiliated business unit that is invested in the acquisition and production of oil and natural gas and another that is a major supplier of equipment and services for the offshore drilling industry. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807020005 Wed, 2 Jul 2008 15:16:20 EST Fox News contributor Mike Huckabee falsely claimed "not one drop of oil was spilled" during Hurricane Katrina http://mediamatters.org/items/200806270005 On Fox & Friends, Mike Huckabee falsely asserted, "When Katrina, a Cat-5 hurricane, hit the Gulf Coast, not one drop of oil was spilled off of those rigs out in the Gulf of Mexico." In fact, according to a report prepared for the federal government by an international consulting firm, damages related to Hurricane Katrina resulted in 70 spills from outer continental shelf structures with a total volume of approximately 5,552<a href="#correction">*</a> barrels of oil and petroleum products. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806270005 Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:11:31 EST Hannity compared carbon offsets to "cheat[ing] on your wife," ignored Murdoch's efforts to make News Corp. carbon neutral http://mediamatters.org/items/200806250009 On Hannity & Colmes, Sean Hannity criticized the purchase of credits to offset one's "carbon footprint," asserting, "Those offsets -- that is the biggest hoax in the world. ... You know what it's like? You go cheat on your wife, and then say, 'Honey, but don't worry. I bought an offset.' Good luck." Hannity has yet to address the pledge by News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch "to be carbon neutral, across all our businesses" -- which includes Fox News -- "by 2010." http://mediamatters.org/items/200806250009 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:13:28 EST Mitchell did not challenge Burr's false assertion that "there wasn't a drop" of oil "that was spilled in the Gulf" due to Category 5 hurricanes http://mediamatters.org/items/200806250007 On MSNBC Live, responding to a comment by Andrea Mitchell about "the massive 1969 oil spill" in Santa Barbara, California, Sen. Richard Burr stated: "Well, Andrea, how technology has changed since 1969. It can take a Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf that really came twice, and the technology made sure that there wasn't a drop that was spilled in the Gulf." In fact, a report prepared for the U.S. Minerals Management Service stated that as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita "124 [oil] spills were reported with a total volume of roughly 17,700 barrels of total petroleum products." http://mediamatters.org/items/200806250007 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:51:44 EST Discussing TCPR claims, O'Reilly said he'd "like to hear [Gore's] side of things," but ignored Gore's response to TCPR http://mediamatters.org/items/200806240005 Bill O'Reilly asserted: "The Tennessee Center for Policy Research [TCPR] says the former vice president [Al Gore] is still using a massive amount of energy at his Tennessee mansion -- more than 20 times the national average." O'Reilly later stated: "So it looks like Gore is a pinhead, but we would like to hear his side of things. And he has an open invitation to appear on the Factor." But at no point did O'Reilly mention that Gore has reportedly given "his side of things" in response to a June 17 TCPR press release on the subject of Gore's purported energy use. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806240005 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:49:44 EST Hume claimed Gore's "energy use has surged more than 10 percent," ignored Gore's response that it's all "green power" http://mediamatters.org/items/200806190012 On Special Report, citing purported findings by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, Brit Hume claimed that Al Gore's "energy use has surged more than 10 percent" since environmentally friendly renovations were completed on his home. Hume offered no response from Gore. Responding to the charge, a Gore spokeswoman stated that "[w]hen [the Gores] do use power, it's green power." According to the Tennessee Valley Authority, green power "create[s] less waste and pollution" than standard electricity. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806190012 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:40:16 EST Boortz again referred to victims of Hurricane Katrina as "parasite[s]" http://mediamatters.org/items/200806190009 On his radio show, Neal Boortz asked: "[W]hy is it that the people who are being affected by the floods in Iowa and the upper Midwest, why is it that they seem to be so much more capable of taking care of themselves and handling this disaster than were the people of Katrina in New Orleans?" Boortz continued, "I think the answer's pretty clear, is that up there in that part of the country, you find a great deal of self-sufficiency. Down there in New Orleans, it was basically a parasite class totally dependent on government for their existence." http://mediamatters.org/items/200806190009 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:33:12 EST