Ratings Gimmick Trumps Environmental Concern on 'Today'
The hosts and crew of NBC’s “Today” show were in
The “winter vacation” trip will end up pumping more than half a ton of carbon into the atmosphere per person, according to carbonfund.org. There’s no telling how many crew members joined Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Al Roker, Ann Curry, Natalie Morales and Hoda Kotb on the trip, but the six hosts alone will emit 3 tons of carbon for the trip.
In contrast, the average person is responsible for 7.5 tons of carbon emissions per year, according to Al Gore’s climate crisis Web site.
The hosts did not mention their carbon footprint on the February 21 broadcast from
The winter vacation ratings gimmick is only the latest example of the show’s environmental hypocrisy. On February 4, the show flew an airplane over New York City trailing a banner reading, “Giants rule, Meredith Drools” as Vieira’s payment of a Super Bowl bet.
The show has a history of trying to tell its viewers how to live their lives: carpooling, buying more expensive light bulbs, shopping for groceries, even decorating your home. It also has a history of environmental hypocrisy.
The most blatant example came during the show’s November “Ends of the Earth” segments during which the hosts traveled as far as Greenland and