MSNBC’s Joy Reid welcomed author and Rolling Stone contributor Jeff Goodell and climate scientist and former meteorologist Chris Gloninger onto Friday’s edition of The ReidOut to discuss global temperatures breaking all-time records. In a segment devoid of any economic ramifications, the two guests came up with the rather underwhelming plan of voting to address the situation.
After several minutes of everyone decrying “propaganda” from fossil fuel companies, Reid wondered “Is there anything we can do about it at this point?”
Goodell tried to sound optimistic, but ended up simply promoting political activism:
Sure. There's a lot we can do about it. I mean, you know, we can, you know, learn more about it, become more educated about it. We can fight hard for it. We can vote and make clean energy and climate part of our-- what we vote for. We can, you know, talk to people about it. We can become activists. You know, there's this whole doomer narrative, that like 'oh, you know, we're done. You know, there's no point in it.' And that's kind of coming from the other side.
All talk about government debt, spending, taxes needed to pay for that spending, how ordinary consumers will see their pocketbooks affected was missing as Goodell continued, “And it's exactly the opposite is true. There's a lot that we can do and we can-- and we need to do it soon.”
Somehow, Reid almost accidentally stumbled upon the truth as she turned to Gloninger, “And Chris, I'm going to give you the last word on this because now you're working full-time on this project. What can we do just on a day-to-day basis because I think there is a sense of doom and gloom because you're like well ‘me throwing this one or two cans into my recycling isn't doing anything’ So I think people feel a bit helpless even if they do believe that the climate crisis is real. Are there things we can do on a day-to-day basis?”
If Reid asked included why people should vote for some radical environmentalist who is just going to make their economic situation worse while the rest of the world continues to use traditional energy sources to fuel their economies then she would have been on to something. This segment was about global temperatures after all.
As it was, Gloninger also tried to be optimistic, “I think it's exciting, the potential. It's job growth and it's people that want to maybe retool their skill set and go into something in the green energy world and the green energy space.”
That is more like job reallocation, but ultimately Gloninger also urged political activism:
If every single one of us can improve on that and talk about it and when it's top of mind, that's when you get change. That's when you get change when you go into Election Day and you find the candidate that's doing the right climate action …when your community is going through one of these vulnerability assessments and finding ways to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change, get to those meetings. Talk about what you want and be engaged and that's all you really need to do.
While Goodell and Gloninger were trying to be hopeful they simply come off as arrogant if they truly think that global temperatures are going to be significantly effected by the outcome of local elections.
This segment was sponsored by Consumer Cellular.
Here is a transcript for the July 7 show:
MSNBC The Reid Out
7/7/2023
7:13 PM ET
JOY REID: Is there anything we can do about it at this point?
JEFF GOODELL: Sure. There's a lot we can do about it. I mean, you know, we can, you know, learn more about it, become more educated about it. We can fight hard for it. We can vote and--
REID: Yeah.
GOODELL: -- make clean energy and climate part of our-- what we vote for. We can, you know, talk to people about it. We can become activists. You know, there's this whole doomer narrative, that like “oh, you know, we're done. You know, there's no point in it.” And that's kind of coming from the other side.
REID: Yeah.
GOODELL: And it's exactly the opposite is true. There's a lot that we can do—
REID: Yeah.
GOODELL: -- and we can-- and we need to do it soon.
REID: And Chris, I'm going to give you the last word on this because now you're working full-time on this project. What can we do just on a day-to-day basis because I think there is a sense of doom and gloom because you're like well "me throwing this one or two cans into my recycling isn't doing anything."
So I think people feel a bit helpless even if they do believe that the climate crisis is real. Are there things we can do on a day-to-day basis?
CHRIS GLONINGER: I think it's exciting, the potential. It's job growth and it's people that want to maybe retool their skill set and go into something in the green energy world and the green energy space.
And I want to say, a lot of islands are thrilled with the renewable energy program that they have here. So, also getting involved, helping working on building resilient communities, and working with their climate adaptation plans as a scientist, but as a professional communicator, and building climate literacy’s all we can do.
If every single one of us can improve on that and talk about it and when it's top of mind, that's when you get change. That's when you get change when you go into Election Day and you find the candidate that's doing the right climate action. And I think you don't need to quit your job and devote 100 percent of your energy on to climate change but when your community is going through one of these vulnerability assessments and finding ways to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change, get to those meetings. Talk about what you want and be engaged and that's all you really need to do.
