Above, Chief Meteorologist Chris Vickers, at WTOL in Toledo, has begun a “Climate Friday” segment, where he puts the week’s events into climate context, in a simple but accurate way.
Can not emphasize enough how much these folks need to be supported.
We recently saw my friend Chris Gloninger, of KCCI in Des Moines, resign after death threats related to his climate context reporting.
TV meteorologist Chris Gloninger didn’t just want to warn people about the latest record-breaking storm — he wanted to talk about the changing climate behind it.
Scientists have been able to draw ever-clearer connections between climate change and extreme weather events, and Gloninger believes weather forecasts should explain that to viewers.
“I truly believe it is the existential crisis of our lifetime,” he says. “And that’s why I think it’s so important to do it.”
Gloninger — the chief meteorologist for CBS affiliate KCCI-TV in Des Moines, Iowa — has brought that mindset to seven television stations across five states during his 18-year career, earning him both praise and pushback.
And now, he’s pivoting.
Gloninger announced on Wednesday that he is “bidding farewell to TV to embark on a new journey dedicated to helping solve the climate crisis.”
The reasons, he said, were “a death threat stemming from my climate coverage last year and resulting PTSD, in addition to family health issues.”
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Below, see how Gloninger, just prior to his exit, explained wildfire smoke to Iowans in climate context.
Below, my Yale Climate Connections report on how TV Mets across the country have been handling the climate story.
finally, I asked Amber Sullins, Chief Meteorologist at ABC – 15 in Phoenix, on her experiences with pushback on her climate reporting.