2nd of 10 Weekend Reports Emphasizes Bipartisan "Climate" Solutions

As "horserace" election coverage ramps up, with premature predictions and signs that the news media will again fail to question basic assumptions, it was encouraging to see a recent edition of USA TODAY offer a refreshing counter-narrative on the front page: 

Voters actually agree on climate change fixes. SO, WHY NO ACTION?

The lead article, by Elizabeth Weise, cites a January 10-13 survey showing that a clear majority of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents (72%) support policies to "create stronger energy efficiency standards for new and existing buildings," "modernize the electric grid to reduce waste in energy production and distribution," and "invest in research to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere."  

The weekend edition (Jan. 24), turned out to be the second of a special 10-part series called Hidden Common Ground.  The 4-page spread is actually a 'pull-off' that wraps around the regular first section with a mix of news articles, images, and columns exploring solutions to a complex problem, and emphasizing various areas of bipartisan alignment.

The project is a partnership between USA TODAY and Public Agenda, a New York-based nonprofit founded in 1975 and dedicated to "strengthening democracy and expanding opportunity for all Americans." 

Several opinion pieces ask for concerted action to mitigate "climate impacts;" former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon advocates ambitious flood-mitigation plans as well as infrastructure redesign.  "Instead of trying to repair the infrastructure of the past," he and co-author Patrick Verkooijen write, "America could be building the resilient roads, bridges, flood-prevention systems and electricity grids we need for the future."

Opinion writer Julia Kumari Drakin focuses on humanity's need to understand the environmental suffering being experienced around the globe. "Instead of ignoring risks of climate change," she advises, "listen to communities -- conservative and progressive, rural and urban...that have been hurt."  Compassion is key:  "It is up to us to hear each other's stories and use them to formulate our adaptation goals, plans and designs...  What can we not live without? What can we let go?"   She reminds readers that 2019 was both the second-hottest year on record, worldwide, and the "fifth consecutive year the US experienced more than 10 disasters costing $1 billion or more."  

A closing article by geologist Karin Kirk, gives practical tips on fostering deeper dialogue and "changing the script" from conventional partisan standoffs.  "Be quiet and curious," she advises. "Ask questions, listen to the answers, and ask follow-ups."  By focusing on immediate, common benefits, it's easy to discuss universal values such as "reducing pollution, improving public health, maximizing energy efficiency and leveraging American competitiveness."

Even a column on the controversial topic of nuclear power (by Bret Kugelmass, managing director of Energy Impact Center) is helped along by clear logical sub-headings:  "Achieving 'net zero isn't enough"; "we must remove greenhouse gases."  But his citing the very round number of "1 trillion tons of greenhouse gases (accumulated over two centuries) that now require "extreme levels of negative emissions," lapses into the abstract and tests our common sense.

Naming and Framing

The content and layout of the "Hidden Common Ground" project is effective, and offers a wide range of possibilities for further inquiry.   Two obvious questions arise: Who or what is causing the "common ground" to be hidden?   Are we simply overwhelmed by the noise and repetition of prevailing narratives that leave no space for reflection, or do some have a vested interest in provoking controversy?    

More to the point, was the decision to label this special edition as "Climate Change" ever thoughtfully debated and questioned?  If editors concluded that a "climate change" framing would actually help foster the desired outcomes of stopping and eventually reversing global warming, then disclosing their rationale would be helpful. 

The strongest feature of this reporting initiative is the enlarged sense of possibility it conveys - that Americans do possess the ability to listen, consider, and have better discussions.   As Karin Kirk observes: "Broad perspectives - from liberals and conservatives, youthful and experienced, bold and cautious - are all needed to hone enduring solutions."  

Her conclusion is sound advice for all ages:  "If you want to be heard, bring your ideas and concerns to the table, listen more than you speak, and then you'll have a better chance at becoming part of the conversation."

Upcoming "Hidden Common Ground" topics include Health Care (February); Economy (March); and Gun rights/violence (April).

Susan Haig is Founder & Creative Director of CivicStory and Conductor of the South Orange Symphony Orchestra

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NB: The "Hidden Common Ground" news project is described as one that "challenges the narrative of a hopelessly divided America." Partners include the National Issues Forums Institute - a program of the Kettering Foundation in Dayton, Ohio - the America Amplified Public Radio Collaborative, and Ipsos, an international polling firm.