This 24 year-old just raised the bar for climate communications.
Just Stop Oil is waging asymmetric information warfare. Big Media would have us think that its fossil fuel sponsors are all about cleantech, leading the (maybe just, maybe not-so-just) energy transition, and generally being freshly washed in green. They're certainly not about to have people from Just Stop Oil onscreen—unless it's for ridicule.
Alex de Koning was intended for such treatment on a FOX-like show. He managed to engage earnestly with those at the table (including, for some reason, an ex-Top Gear presenter) while also playing way beyond the room.
The at-least-slightly bad faith element of the segment made it even more challenging than something like George Monbiot's recent appearance on HardTalk, which is seemingly bound by rules of “civilized discourse”. Monbiot has mentioned getting death threats, and de Koning’s appearance gives those threats credibility. Mr. Ex-Top Gear makes a casual threat of violence, suggesting that protesters need a good beating. Straight fascism.
That said, I see enormous value in this type of media appearance. TalkTV host guy might not have been engaging in good faith, but who knows who might have been watching?
Update 9/2/2022: That was a cakewalk compared with this:
Lion's Den Debates
Lion's Den Debates
Lion's Den Debates
This 24 year-old just raised the bar for climate communications.
Just Stop Oil is waging asymmetric information warfare. Big Media would have us think that its fossil fuel sponsors are all about cleantech, leading the (maybe just, maybe not-so-just) energy transition, and generally being freshly washed in green. They're certainly not about to have people from Just Stop Oil onscreen—unless it's for ridicule.
Alex de Koning was intended for such treatment on a FOX-like show. He managed to engage earnestly with those at the table (including, for some reason, an ex-Top Gear presenter) while also playing way beyond the room.
The at-least-slightly bad faith element of the segment made it even more challenging than something like George Monbiot's recent appearance on HardTalk, which is seemingly bound by rules of “civilized discourse”. Monbiot has mentioned getting death threats, and de Koning’s appearance gives those threats credibility. Mr. Ex-Top Gear makes a casual threat of violence, suggesting that protesters need a good beating. Straight fascism.
That said, I see enormous value in this type of media appearance. TalkTV host guy might not have been engaging in good faith, but who knows who might have been watching?
Update 9/2/2022: That was a cakewalk compared with this: