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Originally Posted by Gayle
Is it hype or simply education? He is spreading the word that global warming is happening so that everyone can alter their behaviour accordingly - no good just telling a couple of people - so he has to make an impact.
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Education. Good thought, gayle!
Education is probably the main reason why we don't have 1 in 10 Americans infected with AIDS. In places in the world where AIDS education has not happened, such as certain areas in Africa, the outcome was much worse.
Education is part of the reason why the bird flu is now known to be somewhat less of a threat than originally thought. Given the way the virus works, scientists have now learned that the receptors in the human body do no mesh well with this particular virus. However, let's not forget that flu viruses are extremely mutable and can be, in some instances, quite deadly.
Y2K? Most businesses, including the one I work for, spent considerable time and money making sure that their computer systems were appropriately modified to handle a 4-digit year, rather than the 2-digit years originally utilized, for the sake of efficiency, in computer programs. Had we not done so, there would have been some severe problems. It was not, despite lampman's claims, a wasted effort. For all the media over-hype of Y2K, it also served to educate smaller businesses to be aware of the potential risks and to evaluate their own situation.
Does the media dwell too much on certain stories? Of course! In this day of 24-hour news, they have to fill up the time somehow. Also, the news outlets are going to air those stories which appeal to the greatest number of viewers, as this is how they make money. Sad to day, but we are pretty much stuck with the tabloid sensationalism in telejournalism today, because most of the audience does not care to watch in-depth analysis of major stories. So, instead of news on the AM broadcast, we get to waste time with the "news" of the outcome of last evening's "reality" TV. Heck, we even get more than our fair share of that on AccyWeb!