Are You Fed Up With "Green Noise"?

Here on Word of Mouth, we often cover topics related to environmental concerns and global warming (in fact, our Next Green Thing series specifically focuses on these issues). As people seek to learn more about the health of our planet, media outlets like ours are dedicating time and energy to covering the stories related to it.

But we sometimes ask ourselves in editorial meetings, “how much is too much?” We want to inform and educate people about these issues, but journalists following the trend can run the risk of simply jumping on a media bandwagon. The New York Times last month reported on information overload on the environment - what's being called "green noise."

Now, a news story from the other side of the planet is getting more people talking about the media hype surrounding environmental issues.

Psychiatrists in Australia say they’ve diagnosed the first case of “climate change delusion.” According to the Telegraph, a 17-year old boy has stopped drinking water because he felt his own consumption would irrevocably harm the planet. The doctors said the patient felt that "due to climate change, his own water consumption could lead within days to the deaths of millions of people."

Bloggers around the world are pointing to this story as proof that sensationalism in reporting on global warming has gone too far. A blog post on Discover Magazine’s website does a good job tracking the responses and putting the conversation into context:

The real question is: How concerned should we be? [The] patient went over the edge into an apocalyptic vision. But the same Telegraph story reports that 75 percent of Australians say they are fairly or very concerned about climate change. Given that Australia is seeing some of the world’s most dramatic effects of global warming, that worrying is justified.

You tell us: Are media outlets over-hyping environmental coverage? Or is the mainstream press finally covering the issues that matter most? Please weigh-in and leave your comments below. Or call our listener line at (603) 223-2448.

In the meantime, here on Word of Mouth, you can be sure we’ll continue to cover environmental issues, but we’ll work hard to make sure we’re covering the right stories the right way.

And if you’re feeling thirsty, please drink some water.

(Photo by jenny downing)