Mediamatters.org is a not-for-profit website that analyzes the conservative misinformation the media gives the public. Off the bat I will acknowledge that the group might have a liberal bias because in their group description they specifically mention conservative misinformation without recognizing that there could be liberal misinformation. With that taken care of, their statistic seems to be accurate. Over an 18 month period, ocean acidification was mentioned 41 times in newspapers and 4 times on television whereas the Kardashians were mentioned 1053 and 1080 times respectively. These numbers show the extent to which our society is wrapped up in the pretend glitz and glamour of Hollywood; 77 percent of us have never heard of ocean acidification before. We get so immersed in status and the popular media we are fed, we don’t even realize the profound consequences of our actions.
Ocean acidification is due to carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere then being absorbed by the ocean. In the ocean it causes a few reactions which ultimately lead to the ocean becoming more acidic, hence ocean acidification, and less calcium carbonate available. Calcium carbonate is important because it is a crucial component in the development of certain marine organisms and coral reefs.
Overall, $29.8 billion will be lost in fisheries, coastal protection, tourism/recreation, and biodiversity. 1.5 billion people may be affected by the impact on fisheries. The coral reef industry and profit would be lost. Coral reefs, coral reef dependent species and other marine species would be in danger of extinction. Ocean acidification is a serious problem and deserves to be given its long overdue attention.
This is a personal plea but please be mindful of your news sources. A disproportionate amount of our news goes toward unimportant topics. There are bigger problems in the world than the trials and tribulations of the Kardashians. Your time is valuable; put it toward making a difference in the world.
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/06/27/study-kardashians-get-40-times-more-news-covera/186703
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So here's the challenge, can you find a more extreme example than this - Ocean Acidification and the Kardashians? I think they chose well but I'll think about it...
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