Gov. Brown: Pay Attention to Climate Change

Gov. Jerry Brown today urged scientists to dedicate themselves to convincing a distracted public and news media about the dangers of climate change and other potential disruptions to human life.

Brown, speaking to about 100 people at the Water, Energy and Smart Technology Summit at the NASA Ames Research Park at Moffett Field, said, "We are really in a war here. You have to reach people who are disinterested and somewhat hostile."

"This is about activism," Brown continued. "This is about converting people. This is an important challenge. If it's like this five years from now, it's over."

At the summit, Brown signed a 20-page statement about climate disruption, extinctions, pollution and population growth that was also signed by more than 500 concerned scientists.

The statement, created at the governor's urging, claims that if things continue as they are without major policy and other changes, the quality of life on Earth will be substantially diminished by the year 2050.

Brown complained that it is difficult to get attention from the public, and from the media in particular, about such issues. He said the media emphasizes trivial stories that are only relevant for a short time. The governor said climate change is not seen as important as "getting the 50th Super Bowl. It's silly."

He said issues that affect the environment are not considered news and "therefore can't be printed in American newspapers."

"It's going to take something else," Brown said. "It's going to take some critical mass."

The summit is continued during the afternoon at Moffett Field. 

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