My slowly Sauntering eye has just fallen upon “Can YouTube Save the Planet?” by Reuben Clements, David Bickford, and David J. Lohman, a one-page article in the September 2007 issue of The Scientist. Here is the main part:
We are calling on scientists around the globe to register with YouTube and post one or more video clips depicting species and habitat loss, regional effects of climate change, or environmentally unfriendly activities that people continue to commit despite repeated warnings. . . . We, together with the editors of The Scientist, have created a dedicated channel on YouTube to host these videos. . . . In response to the question: What is the one thing, the most urgent thing, that everyone can do to tackle global warming? Al Gore replied: “Well, first of all, learn about it.” Gathering a series of local videos will create a global lesson of the damage being caused by climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances in a way that would not be possible with one or a few groups of scientists. Providing visual evidence of environmental woes worldwide through YouTube will create a compelling message for the public and governments alike that will be difficult to ignore any longer.
I urge all environmental researchers to keep their video cameras at the ready, and make compelling clips that document just how far the destruction of Earth goes.
To bring up the dedicated channel on YouTube, click here. (Authors Clements, Bickford, and Lohman are at the Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore.)
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