A paper by Eric Pooley, fall 2008 fellow, examines how the media has covered the economics of climate change. This paper follows coverage of the economic debate over Senate Bill 2191, the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2008, which called for a mandatory declining cap on carbon. Pooley writes that “well-crafted legislation can reduce emissions while encouraging job creation, while a bad bill could drive investment out of the energy sector yet fail to reduce emissions” – making it essential that reporters “learn the difference between sound economic analysis and weapons of mass persuasion.”
How Much Would You Pay to Save the Planet? The American Press and the Economics of Climate Change
By Eric Pooley
