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Focal Point: “Hot Topic”
New WRAL Documentary Examines Global Warning
Airs Wednesday June 27, 2007, 7pm
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“You burn 400 million years of petroleum in 100 years, you will change the chemistry of the atmosphere, period.”
— Stan Riggs, Coastal Geologist, East Carolina University
Global warming has long been a hot topic, but in recent years skepticism seems to be giving way to realism as the scientific evidence has grown. acceleration. WRAL’s new “Focal Point” documentary “Hot Topic” looks at the research, including some being done by leading scientists in North Carolina. It looks at the potential impact of global warming and rising sea level on our state and how business interests, government and individual citizens are addressing this growing issue. The documentary is hosted by WRAL News anchor Bill Leslie and airs Wednesday, June 27, 2007 at 7pm on WRAL-TV.
Earlier this year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is made up of hundreds of leading climate scientists from all over the world, concluded that warming is occurring and blamed man for its
While there are still some non-believers, even leaders in business and government, from both parties, have acknowledged that global warming is an issue, that man is probably contributing to the problem and that it’s something our society should address. Our state legislature has even created a commission on climate change to do just that.
Scientists say no place in our state is more vulnerable to global warming that the coast. They say warming is speeding up sea level rise. Sea level rose nearly a foot on North Carolina’s coast over the past century and scientists predict that it could rise two more feet over the next century, inundating barrier islands and some inland coastal areas along our sounds and rivers.
Scientists say global warming will also lead to more extreme weather and will alter rainfall patterns, causing floods in some areas and droughts in others. That, along with higher temperatures and higher levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide could have a dramatic impact on agriculture, tourism and the quality of life in our state.
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Focal Point
“Hot Topic ” is the sixteenth episode in the WRAL documentary series called Focal Point. These in-depth news documentaries focus on a single topic, bringing depth and clarity to complicated issues facing North Carolina. From North Carolina’s economy and environment, to health care and race relations – Focal Point takes viewers inside the lives of the people most affected. Focal Point tackles the tough questions with leaders and policymakers who have the power to effect change. WRAL News anchors, including David Crabtree, Pam Saulsby, Bill Leslie, Gerald Owens and Debra Morgan, host the series. Six to eight new episodes of Focal Point will be produced each year.
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Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Clay Johnson for this capcom story.
