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As a summer heatwave baked large portions of the midwest and the southeast, ABC's Anne Thompson quoted a United Nations study blaming humans for causing the global warming that is exacerbating extreme weather conditions worldwide this year. In her hybrid report, Thompson first showed us a compilation of so-called weather porn video highlights--an Arabian Sea cyclone, snow in Buenos Aires, a heatwave in southeastern Europe, floods in China, drought in Africa--before changing the subject to a specific problem caused by heavy rains in domestic coastal communities. Thompson publicized the Natural Resources Defense Council's data on the record number of beach closings last year caused by flood runoff from storm systems.

Both NBC and CBS turned to correspondents in Hotlanta to illustrate the perils of heat. CBS' Kelly Cobiella described the heat in Atlanta as "the kind of hot you can see." Doctors are not only treating symptoms of heat exhaustion but respiratory problems too. NBC's Martin Savidge called it "a double health threat--staggering heat and stagnant air, as the stationary weather system causes not just temperatures but pollution levels to soar." How bad is the smog? "Monday, you could barely see Knoxville."

To round out a typical agenda for the dog days of August, CBS had Michelle Miller cover the same consumer tips for sunscreen use that NBC's Robert Bazell and ABC's John McKenzie (subscription required) warned us about a couple of months ago. Miller told us that the Food & Drug Administration's 18-year-old guidelines for sunscreens focus only on SPF protection against the sun's ultra-violet rays of the B variety, the type of light that causes sunburn. The FDA is silent on protection against UVA, which ages skin. Both UVA and UVB can cause cancer. Miller advised tanners to read the fine print and choose the UVA blocking ingredients parsol 1789, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Andrew Tyndall 8/9/07 8:06:12 pm

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