Iowa meteorologist quits after death threat over climate coverage - The Hill
Iowa meteorologist quits after death threat over climate coverage | The Hill
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Iowa meteorologist quits after death threat over climate coverage
An Iowa meteorologist is leaving his job after receiving a death threat over his reporting on climate change.
Chris Gloninger, the chief meteorologist at the CBS affiliate KCCI in Des Moines, said in a Twitter post on Wednesday he is “bidding farewell” to television due to the death threat and its resulting post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as family health issues.
“18 years. 7 stations. 5 states,” Gloninger said in the post. “I am bidding farewell to TV to embark on a new journey dedicated to helping solve the climate crisis.”
“After a death threat stemming from my climate coverage last year and resulting PTSD, in addition to family health issues, I’ve decided to begin this journey *now*,” he added.
Gloninger shared some of the harassing emails he received from someone on Twitter last July.
“Getting sick and tired of your liberal conspiracy theory on the weather,” one of the messages read.
“What’s your home address, we conservative Iowans would like to give you an Iowan welcome you will never forget,” another said.
A 63-year-old man from Lenox, Iowa, admitted last August to sending the emails to Gloninger and later pleaded guilty to third-degree harassment, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Gloninger said he now plans to devote his “full-time efforts to finding sustainable solutions and fostering positive change.”
“Let’s confront this challenge head on and shape a more resilient future for generations to come,” he added in Wednesday’s post.
Climate change death threats Iowa
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Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”