20080612_AB
Source: NewsBusters
Date: 12/06/2008
Event: 2015: "Flames cover hundreds of square miles"
Credit: ABC, NewsBusters
People:
- Heidi Cullen: Chief scientist, Climate Central
- Chris Cuomo: Television journalist, co-anchor of ABC's Good Morning America
- Professor Peter deMenocal: Oceanographer, Columbia University
- Dr. Peter Gleick: Hydroclimatologist, co-founder of the Pacific Institute, Oakland CA
- Dr. James Hansen: Head of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 1981-2013
- John Holdren: Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
- James Howard Kunstler: Author of The Long Emergency
- Bob Woodruff: Television journalist, host of ABC's "Earth 2100"
[Most of this transcript has been copied from the NewsBusters website, with a few changes - some of the video material can still be seen, e.g., on YouTube, however, not all of the video relating to the last two sections appears to be available now.]
Chris Cuomo: Now, we will have a dramatic preview for you of an unprecedented ABC News event called "Earth 2100." We're asking you to help create a story that is yet to unfold: what our world will look like in 100 years if we don't save our troubled planet. Your reports will actually help form the backbone of a two-hour special airing this fall. ABC's Bob Woodruff will be the host. He joins us now. Pleasure, Bob.
Bob Woodruff: You too, Chris. You know, this show is a countdown through the next century and shows what scientists say might very well happen if we do not change our current path. As part of the show, today, we are launching an interactive web game which puts participants in the future and asks them to report back about what it is like to live in this future world. The first stop is the year 2015.
[NOTE (NewsBusters): ABC provides no graphics or identification for any of the following individuals/activists featured. Identifications taken discerned from web article.]
James Howard Kunstler: The public is sleepwalking into the future. You know, sort of going through the motions of daily life and really not paying attention.
James Hansen: We can see what the prospects are and we can see that we could solve the problem but we're not doing it.
[Graphic: "Welcome to 2015".]
Peter Gleick: In 2015, we've still failed to address the climate problem.
John Holdren: We're going to see more floods, more droughts, more wildfires.
Unidentified male "reporter": Flames cover hundreds of square miles.
Unidentified male voice: We expect more intense hurricanes.
Peter deMenocal: Well, how warm is it going to get? How much will sea level rise? We don't know really know where the end is.
[Map labelled "New York City" is shown being gradually submerged under water.]
Unidentified male "reporter": Temperatures have hit dangerous levels.
Unidentified male voice: Agriculture production is dropping because temperatures are rising.
Heidi Cullen: There's about one billion people who are malnourished. That number just continually grows.
Unidentified male voice: Prices of energy have gone through the roof. Political conflict has grown.
Peter deMenocal: You got more people, less and less resources - that's a recipe for disaster.
* * *
Chris Cuomo: I think we're familiar with some of these issues, but, boy, 2015? That's seven years from now. Could it really be that bad?
Bob Woodruff: It's very soon, you know. But all you have to do is look at the world today right today. You know, you've got gas prices going up. You got food prices going up. You've got extreme weather. The scientists have studied this for decades. They say if you connect the dots, you can actually see that we're approaching maybe even a perfect storm. Or you have got shrinking resources, population growth. Climate change. So, the idea now is to look at it, wake up about it and then try to do something to fix it.
* * *
Bob Woodruff: But the best of these regular reports that come from people that are watching, we're going to put those on, all of this on our two-hour production that's going to happen in the fall. And we just want more of these people to watch. And we've gotten already some remarkable interviews from these people. And just take a quick look.
Unidentified male teenager: It's June 8th, 2015. One carton of milk is $12.99.
Unidentified male voice: Gas reached over $9 a gallon.
Unidentified male teenager: I'm scared [bleeped, although in other versions of the video he says "as hell"] right now, but I have to get this out.
Bob Woodruff: So the producers actually work with those people that send in their ideas into the website. And then we're just hoping that the goal is ultimately get these ideas very soon.
Chris Cuomo: Lovely. Bob Woodruff. Thank you very much. You can find out much more about how you can be part of this exciting and important show. You can go to Earth2100.tv. Earth2100.tv or you can go to ABCNews.com.