Global warming scare mongering: the Maldives is sinking fast – along with 60 Minutes credibility
Elizabeth Krantz – 18 May 2009
Viewers of Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes on Sunday night 17th May 2009 were treated to one of the most deceptive and misleading stories imaginable as the producers let their global warming evangelism overcome journalistic integrity in a beat up of the Maldives supposed journey to the bottom of the ocean.
Reporter Liz Hayes gives the impression the ocean has risen this much in eight years
Against a back-drop of the Maldives, reporter Liz Hayes exclaims “If ever you needed proof that global warming exists, it’s right here. The Maldives is drowning”. Very dramatic. So what proof did Hayes offer?
The camera shifts to Hayes standing waist-deep in water lamenting “For me, this is quite a sight. I visited eight years ago, and I walked right here, on what was then dry, hot sand”. From her previous comments the implication is clear – sea levels at the Maldives have risen by over one metre in eight years.
This is deceptive scare-mongering in the extreme. The most likely reason for the change is normal sand erosion due to tides and storms.
Hayes introduces Australian scientist and fervent advocate of the global warming hypothesis, Charles Veron who continues the scare-mongering.
“We’re in for a change in climate like we’ve never imagined before,” alarmist Charlie says. “We’re going to be witnessing whole cities being destroyed through the sea level rise”.
That’s right – whole cities destroyed. Alarmist Charlie did not say which cities.
Unfortunately for producer Stephen Rice and reporter Hayes their deception was exposed by alarmist Charlie in the chat session after the show.
A number of participants were eager to know why such dramatic sea level rises were not evident in the rest of the world. Alarmist Charlie ducked around the questions until finally when asked what scientific measuring device was used to determine the sea level is rising in the Maldives, Veron made this amazing admission, “There is no specific measurable sea level rise in the Maldives”.
That’s right, no measurable sea level rise.
But hang on, wasn’t that what the whole program was about? Maldives is about to be the new Atlantis.
After this shattering blow to their credibility, 60 Minutes should stick to their stock-in-trade of providing light entertainment in the form of fluffy interviews with Hollywood movie stars.