Demand regular. rigorous and scientifically sound Climate Change coverage on the BBC, now!

I DEMAND THAT THE BBC INSTITUTE REGULAR, SOBER, THOUGHTFUL AND COMPREHENSIVE DAILY COVERAGE OF 'GREEN' ISSUES, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON CLIMATE CHANGE; PROGRAMMES DEDICATED TO THAT SOLE PURPOSE.

If we don't act, and if we don't educate ourselves to know HOW to act,  such glorious places as the beach in this picture (Sunset Beach, Mahé, Seychelles),  will disappear under the waves. And that is only one of the imminent consequences of runaway Climate Change.

Climate Change is the single most urgent issue facing the human race today, threatening all of life on this planet. And yet it is left to individuals and activist groups to cover all the different aspects of this desperately important problem - a problem that is demonstrably assuming the dimensions of a global disaster.

Where there should be comprehensive coverage of this issue in the media, there is nothing.

As with all other environmental issues, the BBC's coverage of Climate Change with all its attendant problems (wildfires in California, flooding in Asia and Japan; African-level drought across Europe; deepening water shortage; rising marine temperatures threatening biota; progressive loss of polar ice; farmers running out of forage for their livestock being forced to use winter silage and reduce their stocks ... to name just a few) remains minimal and sporadic, usually taking the form of a small 'subtitle' in some other news item. While Business, industry, finance, crime, food, Health and personal beauty, travel shows, sports, soaps and silly game-shows abound, we seldom if ever see thoughtful, scientifically sound, well argued coverage of this topic, let alone a dedicated, prime-time daily programme that instructs, informs, updates, warns and encourages viewers, holds governments and businesses to account, etc. in an effort to strengthen our country's (frankly sub-standard) efforts to address this most imminent and appalling threat to all life at the grass roots (i.e. at the individual as well as corporate and national levels).

I passionately urge the BBC to immediately institute a daily programme that addresses this topic thoughtfully, soberly and comprehensively (but please, without any of the currently popular format of dumbed-down, trivialised, fragmented presentation by front men/women who would be better off covering game-shows. Similarly, there really is no need for the jangle of electronic background music that ruins other shows, if you please). There are many fine, scientifically qualified presenters on TV nowadays: could their skills not be recruited to cover such a show?

The public NEEDS this service. It needs a chance to think, learn, listen, and question experts in the field of Climate Change and related topics, and (hopefully!) also to suggest solutions and kick off activities itself. It needs a chance to summon those in power or in positions of trust (industry, governments, individuals) and ask them to account for environmentally counterproductive decisions, behaviours and practices they have taken/are taking, and to explain why too often they are failing to address our scientifically demonstrated, desperate need for EXTREME, concerted measures to reduce emissions. Indeed, too many official decisions have the nett effect of PROMOTING further environmental degradation. The people involved should be put in front of the public and asked to justify their actions.  Only in this way can we hope to improve informed public pressure, which is essential if populist politicians and industrial lobbyists are to be singled out and either dissuaded or prevented from continuing with their damaging behaviours.

Consider: * Why has there been minimal coverage on the BBC of the ENVIRONMENTAL consequences of building a third runway at Heathrow? * Why has there been no in-depth coverage of the disastrous recent decisions by our Tory government to reduce funding for renewables, while promoting fracking and the construction of desperately dangerous, not to mention ridiculously costly, nuclear power stations by foreign parties? * Why are we not engaged in a passionate debate about (and denunciation of) the continued production and use of massively overpowered cars for private, non-industrial use (I ask you: what private urban dweller needs a 2- litre - and - above 4x4 gas guzzler to drive his/her kids to school?) or the profligate, uncaring practice on the part of too many individuals and families of flying off to foreign holiday destinations multiple times a year? .... I repeat, where are the interviewers and experts running discussions and demanding explanations and justifications from the government for all its environmentally damaging decisions, and indeed for its outdated ideological mantra 'growth at all costs'? WHY ISN'T ALL THIS ALREADY BEING PULLED APART, EXAMINED AND DISCUSSED IN DEPTH ON SCREEN, where we can all see it and participate in it?

The public needs the TRUTH, not spin or such shallow news coverage that no insight can be gleaned from it. Vested interests MUST be uncovered and aired in the public arena. Folk in power MUST be compelled to justify their actions. And all this needs to be done via a programme that prevents unqualified 'nay-sayers' like Lamont from hijacking the content with their emotive yet unsubstantiated nonsense (and being treated as if their nonsense were worthy of serious consideration, forsooth!) and encourages well-informed debate by conservationists and environmentally educated experts presenting their theories, evidence and conclusions to the public, as well as fielding questions and suggesting solutions on a local and individual level, etc.

Farage and Gove got it all wrong. We're NOT sick of experts. We're sick of spin doctors and mendacious politicians who will say anything to gain and hold on to the support of under-educated voters. Where better for this kind of open discussion, debate, decision making and public education than a broadcasting organisation whose remit is to serve and educate the PUBLIC? If people are not given honest facts and a comprehensive education in the environmental threats facing them, they cannot be blamed for making poor decisions (we saw a prime example of that with the Brexit vote) or for failing to act in ways that will promote the safety of their planet and their own families and communities. So: WHY isn't the BBC already providing this service?

We need an unbiased, fact-based media platform on which to counter the appalling misinformation being propagated by the likes of Donald Trump and too many other Climate Change denying individuals in power, whose only interest is personal gain, and who demonstrate NO concern for the future of our planet. We need that platform NOW. We need it to halt the slide into ever greater public ignorance on the true state of our planet, and the dreadful self-damage consequent on that ignorance.

Just as we have access to at least one hour of business, health and sports coverage per day, we should be getting NO LESS coverage of the climate: we should hear environmental experts, food producers, fishermen/women etc expound on the various aspects of this burning issue, make recommendations, suggest solutions and celebrate those who ARE making an effort to improve the situation by living sustainably, within their own carbon footprints.

Again: We need a LOT MORE COVERAGE OF 'GREEN' ISSUES. I demand that the BBC give us that, URGENTLY.

Otherwise the BBC will be failing in its remit to inform, educate and improve the citizenry.

Otherwise, I predict with a heavy heart, there will come a day when no future generation will exist to hold our selfish, greedy and profligate generation to account for the vandalism being perpetrated on the planet RIGHT NOW, in the interests of no-holds-barred public and private greed .

Please join me! 

I DEMAND THAT THE BBC INSTITUTE REGULAR, SOBER, THOUGHTFUL AND COMPREHENSIVE DAILY COVERAGE OF 'GREEN' ISSUES, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON CLIMATE CHANGE; PROGRAMMES DEDICATED TO THAT SOLE PURPOSE.

Thank you.