IGA-451M: CONTROVERSIES IN CLIMATE, ENERGY & THE MEDIA:
Improving Public Communication
2015
Harvard Kennedy School Spring 2015, Module 3 (Jan 27-Mar 12)
Tuesday/Thursday 11:40am-1:00pm Littauer 332
Shopping class: Jan 22, 11:40am to 12:55pm, L332
Faculty: Professor Cristine Russell
Office: Brattle Street Complex,
5th floor, Room 559
Email: Cristine_Russell@hks.harvard.edu
Office Hours: Schedule with Professor
Course Assistant: Amanda Dominguez
Email: Amanda_Dominguez@hks15.harvard.edu
Office Hours: Posted on course website
Faculty Assistant: Stacy Hannell
Office: Littauer 209
Email: Stacy_Hannell@hks.harvard.edu
Course Description:
This course will examine media coverage of timely climate, energy and environment issues as
well as the role media play in influencing public understanding, policy, and political outcomes
around the world. These issues include some of the greatest, and most controversial, global
challenges ahead: the disconnect between the immense threat climate change poses and political
will and action; extreme weather and its impact at the human and geopolitical levels; the divisive
anti-science & climate denial movement; the natural gas and oil revolution in the US and its
global importance; the fracking debate; the Keystone XL pipeline; renewable energy; nuclear
energy in a post-Fukushima world; and the climate and energy clash between developed and
developing countries.
Rapid changes in conventional and social media mean that virtually all professionals, by choice
or necessity, need to become better communicators and commentators in the public sphere
regardless of their career paths. This course is intended to help students navigate the rapidly
changing media landscape, providing a better understanding of how media coverage shapes the
public conversation and how this in turn shapes the media. The class will be participatory and
discussion-intensive, providing practical strategies and skills. Guest journalists and other experts
will enhance our discussions.
The 2015 course, first taught in 2012, has been completely updated to reflect the latest energy
and environment issues and media coverage. We will focus on mainstream news media
coverage, as well as commentary in blogs and social media. We will also take a multimedia
approach to study the power of imagery as well as words, including photographs (think polar
bear), graphics, video and television, and political cartoons.
A final role-play exercise will analyze media coverage of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline
in the US and Canada. The in-class role play has proven a popular way to understand the divisive
and long-running debate between proponents and opponents.
The ultimate question posed by the course is whether, in this day and age, it is possible to have
an informed public debate about the key climate, energy and environment issues of our time,
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from their scientific and technical underpinnings to possible policy options and solutions. The
answer depends in part on how and where citizens get their information among the array of
choices in the media marketplace.
We will explore a number of communication roadblocks and strategies for overcoming them,
including:
● The slow process of developing scientific “truth” and knowledge-based journalism in an
era of instant 24/7 news and science denialism.
● A political world increasingly characterized by polarization, gridlock, and competing
visions of the role of government. “Media spin” is a key weapon in these policy and
political wars.
● A decline of mainstream news outlets, which are accustomed to separating fact-based
reporting and opinion, and the rise of alternative media outlets (cable television; talk
radio; online blogging and social media) that are highly opinionated, increasingly
partisan, and often lacking in editorial supervision, fact-checking, and traditional
journalism norms.
● A citizenry with limited scientific education that is bombarded by a variety of different
media and a plethora of conflicting, confusing and often contradictory messages.
Perception of risks and benefits is colored by a range of emotional, ideological, and
political reactions that go beyond the “facts.”
● Competition from day-to-day news, from the serious to the silly, which may easily
overshadow energy and environment topics. Crime, celebrities, sports, and stunts are far
easier to sell.
General Topics:
● The changing media landscape in the US and globally.
● The explosive growth of the Internet and social media: the Twitterverse, the blogosphere.
● Understanding the players in science/research and policy; business; non-profit think
tanks; advocacy groups; government; media; and the public.
● How the game is played: practical strategies for dealing with the media.
● Public opinion on climate change, energy, and environment issues.
● Political leadership/non-leadership in local, national and international climate, energy,
and environment efforts.
● The role of controversy, uncertainty, “false balance,” and visual symbols in influencing
public opinion.
Guest Speakers:
● SEMINAR: Coral Davenport, Energy & Environment reporter, The New York Times.
Informal in-class discussion plus optional afternoon public presentation for the
Harvard/Boston community.
● Other leading energy/environment journalists and experts will be invited to join class
conversations, in person or by video chat. They include Andrew Revkin, New York Times
DotEarth; Curtis Brainard, Scientific American; Professor Matthew Bunn, HKS; and
Elana Schor, Politico. We will also bring in global voices, such as Rosalia Omungo,
Kenya Broadcasting System.
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Prerequisites:
This course is open to graduate students from any Harvard school or department, to affiliate
schools and to qualified undergraduates with the permission of the instructor. The diversity of
international backgrounds enriches the course; special arrangements for students for whom
English is a second language can be made. Cross registration by students from other universities
is encouraged. Check with HKS Registrar and the instructor for procedures. Auditors are
welcome if space is available and should contact the instructor for permission.
Expectations:
The Kennedy School is a professional school. As such, students are expected to:
● Read assignments before coming to class
● Attend all classes
● Be on time
● Participate actively in class discussions and on the class blog
● Submit assignments on time
● Be respectful of each other and of the instructor
● Do their best to prepare professional products for their assignments.
Class discussions are a large part of the learning in this class. In-class laptop use is discouraged.
Class participation:
In-Class Discussion – Participation in class discussions is expected. Throughout the class,
students will be asked to discuss readings and debate media strategies and the positions of
various media actors. The class will culminate in a fun role-play exercise involving all students
that brings the media and communication lessons to life.
Class Blog – Our class blog will encourage out-of-class dialogue and further analysis of class
readings, current events, and other relevant information/media, etc. Since this is a module, the
blog provides an added opportunity for students to get to know one another. Each student will be
given access to the blog and instructions on how to use it. The blog will count toward class
participation. Class members are expected to be regular blog participants, posting short entries
and comments on other posts. The instructor, teaching assistant, and students will pose questions
to the group. Requirements and suggestions for blog posts and comments will be provided on the
Course Page. Blog posts might include one thing you learned in the week’s readings or a short
critique of one reading.
Blog URL: http://meeharvard.wordpress.com/wp-admin/
We will offer basic tutorials on how to blog and tweet to bring all members of the class up to
speed on social media.
Students are expected to follow the daily news, including a newspaper or mainstream media
publication in the US or abroad. A list of relevant aggregators and blogs will also be provided on
the class blog (e.g. “The Daily Climate,” “Dot Earth”).
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Assignments:
● Assignment one: Extreme weather events and climate change. Write a short critical
review of the media coverage of an extreme weather event of your choosing (such as
extreme heat, droughts, wildfires, flooding, hurricanes/typhoons, etc.), focusing on the
language used and people quoted. Explain how journalists communicated to the public
about the role of climate change in this extreme weather event: Where did they fall short
in their coverage? What did they do well? What could they have done better? Was the
reporting accurate? What sources did they use? Do you trust those sources? Did they
overplay the role of climate change or understate it? Cite at least two news articles in
your piece.
o 750-1,000 words
o Due on Wed. 2/11 at 5pm
● Assignment two: Fracking, nuclear or renewable energy. Write a short news article, oped, or blog post on the benefits and/or risks of fracking, nuclear power, or a renewable
energy source of your choice. Localize the technology in a particular place or region in
which there is debate or controversy; this can be a region where an installation currently
exists, or a region where new operations have been proposed. You must use (and cite)
three news or technical articles as background for your piece. If you want to take a point
of view, argue your case in an op-ed or blog format. The best papers present both
technical and human-interest background and discuss technical information in a clear and
accurate manner.
o 750 words.
o Due on Fri. 2/27 at 5pm
● Assignment three. Keystone XL role-play exercise. This assignment includes an in-class
exercise (March 10) and an analytical paper (due March 13). In the class exercise, each
student will play the role of a character in the KXL debate and work in small assigned
teams: media (journalist; newspaper editor; bloggers/commentators); researchers/experts;
company/trade association officials; environmental activists; government policy
makers/politicians, etc. A guest journalist will “live” blog the presentations.
Following the exercise, students must submit a paper analyzing the broader role played
by the media in its coverage of KXL and your “character,” lessons learned in the roleplay, and the influence of the various players in the game. In this paper, you should go
beyond a summary of the in-class events; apply lessons learned from the in-class exercise
to the broader media landscape and policy debate.
o 1,000-1,500 words
o Due on Fri. 3/13 at 5pm
Extensions require advance permission by instructor. Otherwise, late assignments will be
penalized one grade level per 24-hours late.
***Assignments are intended to provide an opportunity for students to hone their analytical,
research, and writing skills. Please talk to Prof. Russell or Amanda if you would like to adapt
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assignments to make them more meaningful for your particular academic/professional interests.
Grading:
Class participation: In class discussion
Class participation: Class blog posts/comments
Assignment one: Extreme weather paper
Assignment two: Fracking, nuclear, or renewable energy article/op-ed/blog
Assignment three: Keystone XL in-class exercise & analytical paper
10%
15%
20%
20%
35%
Citation Practices:
Students must be familiar with and must observe Kennedy School and Harvard University rules
regarding the citation of sources. See HKS student handbook for details.
Instructor:
Cristine Russell, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, is an award-winning freelance journalist who
has written about science, environment and health for more than three decades. She is a Senior
Fellow in the Environment and Natural Resources Program at the HKS Belfer Center for Science
and International Affairs and a former HKS Shorenstein Center fellow. Russell is a contributing
editor at Columbia Journalism Review, contributor to Atlantic.com, and a former national
science reporter for The Washington Post.
She is the immediate past-president of the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing and
a former president of the National Association of Science Writers. She has worked with the
World Federation of Science Journalists, organizing sessions for biennial conferences in Korea,
Finland, Qatar, and the UK. Russell served on the boards of the USC Annenberg School for
Communication & Journalism and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. She is a
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; an honorary member of
Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society; and a Mills College graduate with a degree in
biology.
Outline of classes and readings below.
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Outline of Classes and Discussion Questions - 2015
Class
Topic/Questions
Assignment
Shopping 11:40-12:55: Introduction and Overview of Course and
Requirements
● How is the changing face of the media—the decline in mainstream news and
SECTION I:
rapid rise of online and social media outlets—influencing public understanding
Overview of the
of complex policy issues?
Changing
● How does media coverage of environment, energy and climate topics compare
Global Media
to other domestic & foreign policy issues?
Landscape
● How does the growth in mobile technology affect news consumption?
● How big is the media generation gap between millennials and their elders?
● How well do journalists cover complex stories on a 24/7 news cycle?
● Why do stories favor politics over policy and controversy over consensus?
● How do decision makers and advocacy groups use the media to ‘spin’ the public
conversation about energy and environment issues?
1
1/27
How Rapid Changes in Global Media Impact Controversial
Energy/Environment Issues
● How has the media covered climate change science and policy over time?
SECTION II:
● Why has the scientific and policy case for action to reduce the global threat of
Global Trends
climate change become increasingly politicized in recent years?
in Media &
● What fuels climate change denialism in countries like the US and Australia?
Public Opinion
● Why do energy and environment issues collide in the public discourse?
on Climate
● How do blogs and special interests influence the public debate?
Change
● What are the trends in public opinion on climate change science and action in
the US and internationally?
2
1/29
Overview of Climate Change Coverage, the Politics of Denial and
the Public Opinion Divide
3
2/03
Covering Catastrophe: Extreme Weather Brings Urgency to
Climate Change
4
2/05
The Big Disconnect: Scientific Consensus & Political Paralysis
● How have new sources of natural gas and oil changed the global energy,
SECTION III:
economic and geopolitical discussion?
Energy, New
●
What has been the role of the media?
Technology and
Risk Reporting ● Winners and losers: The see-saw coverage of energy
● Techno-optimism and pessimism: How does faith in new technologies affect
coverage of energy?
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2/10
SEMINAR: Coral Davenport, Energy & Environment Reporter,
Assignment
The New York Times. In-class discussion and optional afternoon
1 Due Wed.
talk open to the Boston Community
2/11, 5pm
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2/12
The Global Game Changer: Media Coverage of the Natural Gas
Revolution and the Resurgence of the Fossil Fuel Industry
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2/17
The Fractious Public Debate over Fracking
GUEST: Curtis Brainard, (invited), Blogs Ed., Scientific American
& Founder, Columbia Journalism Review Science Section
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Date
1/22
● David and Goliath: How are renewable energies pitted against fossil fuels?
● By the numbers: How well do journalists understand the economics and scale of
renewable and conventional energy sources?
● How has coverage of solar and wind power in the US turned renewable energy
into a political football?
● What are the challenges of communicating uncertain, complex, technical
information during a global environmental or nuclear disaster?
● How has coverage of Germany’s national commitment to phase-out nuclear
power and pump up renewables been played?
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2/19
Green or Clean: The Seesaw Coverage of Renewable and Nuclear
Energy
GUEST: Matthew Bunn, Harvard Kennedy School
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2/24
Techno-Optimism or Pessimism: Can Technology Save the Day?
● With the Internet opening up a global conversation, how does media coverage
SECTION V:
of environment and energy vary around the world?
Global
Gridlock: It’s
● “It’s not my problem.” Who is covering the “other” related issues in developing
and developed countries: economic/food insecurity and national security?
not my problem
● How are the problems of the most vulnerable countries covered?
● Overcoming the media divide between developed and developing countries
10
2/26
Out of Sight: How News Media Cover (or Don’t Cover) Larger
Assignment
Energy/Environment Issues in the Developing World
2 Due Fri.
GUESTS via Video Chat: Andrew Revkin, NYT DotEarth; Rosalia
2/27 at 5pm
Omungo, Kenya Broadcasting System (invited)
● Why is the Keystone XL pipeline so polarized?
SECTION VI:
Role Play
● Which stakeholders are more or less effective in communication with the press
and the public on energy, the environment and climate?
Exercise:
● What is the role of public affairs, communication and political strategists in the
Keystone XL
public and private sector?
● How would you design effective media strategies from a corporate or
government perspective?
● How to catch attention: environmental protests and the media
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3/3
KEYSTONE XL: Media Coverage of the Divisive Pipeline Debate.
GUEST: Elana Schor, Energy Reporter, Politico (video chat)
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3/5
The Game & the Players: Class members play American &
Canadian Political & Business Leaders, Environmental Activists,
Policy Experts, Celebrities, Members of Local Communities & the
Media.
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3/10
In Character: Class Role-Play Exercise on the KXL Debate
SECTION VII:
Conclusion
14
3/12
Lessons Learned: Applying Media/Communication Knowledge &
Assignment
Skills to your own Professional Life
3 Due Fri.
3/13, 5pm
TBD
OPTIONAL: Class Lunch
SECTION IV:
It’s not easy
being green:
The seesaw
coverage of
renewable and
clean energy
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COURSE READINGS
Readings include a diverse range of media stories in the US and abroad; analysis of energy and
environmental issues; and communications research and commentary. Some classes include
multiple news articles from different media outlets about the same energy/environmental story.
You should read these articles both for the content of the story but also to understand the
different ways that stories can be communicated. You are encouraged to seek out other media
outlets that are not included on the reading list to get more diverse points of view.
The readings below will be available on the Course Page, with links and PDF files. While the
reading list appears long, most media articles are relatively short and quick to read, so
students have found it quite manageable. Students will receive additional guidance on reading
requirements.
Section I: Overview of the Changing Global Media Landscape
Class 1. January 27. How Rapid Changes in Global Media Impact Controversial
Energy & Environment Issues
Required Reading
Roston, Eric. “The iPhone 6 Makes Climate Change Simple.” Bloomberg, September 18, 2014.
Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project Staff. “Key Indicators in Media & News.” Pew Research
Center’s Journalism Project, March 26, 2014.
Bedard, Paul. “Record Half of U.S. Population Gets News Online, 164 Million ‘Uniques.’” Washington
Examiner, September 30, 2014.
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. RISJ Digital Report 2014 (survey of online news consumers
in Europe; read Executive Summary & “Objectivity & Impartiality for Digital News”).
DeSilver, Drew. “5 Key Takeaways on Politics, Media and Polarization.” Pew Research Center, October
21, 2014.
Pew Research Center. “Political Polarization in the American Public.” Pew Research Center for the
People and the Press, June 12, 2014.
Bedard, Paul. “Pew Media Survey: 47% of Conservatives Call Fox News Their ‘Main News Source.’”
Washington Examiner, October 21, 2014.
Fox, Susannah, and Lee Rainie. “The Web at 25 in the U.S.” Pew Research Center’s Internet & American
Life Project, February 27, 2014.
Matsa, Katerina Eva, and Amy Mitchell. “8 Key Takeaways about Social Media and News.” Pew
Research Center’s Journalism Project, March 26, 2014.
Wihbey, John. “The Rise of Mobile News and the Implications For Climate Change Coverage” The Yale
Forum on Climate Change and the Media, Nov.15, 2012.
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Economist. “Press Criticism: The Balance Trap.” Aug. 8, 2012.
O’Brien, Kelly J. “What Journalists Can Learn from the Faux CNN Threat.” Columbia Journalism
Review. Jan. 13, 2015.
Sullivan, Margaret. “An Uneasy Mix of News & Opinion.” New York Times, Jan. 20, 2015.
Optional Reading
Mitchell, Amy, Jeffrey Gottfried, Jocelyn Kiley, and Katerina Eva Matsa. “Political Polarization & Media
Habits.” Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project, October 21, 2014.
University of California Berkeley, “Understanding Science.” (Tutorials: how the media cover science).
“Beware of false balance: Are the views of the scientific community accurately portrayed?”
“Too tentative: Is the scientific community's confidence in the ideas accurately portrayed?”
“What controversy: Is a controversy misrepresented or blown out of proportion?”
Brossard, Dominque; Scheufele, Dietram. “This Story Stinks.” New York Times Mar. 2, 2013.
Nisbet, Matthew. “The Science Journalist Online: Shifting Roles and Emerging Practices,” Climate Shift.
Sept. 28, 2011.
Multimedia
Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project. “Where News Audiences Fit on the Political Spectrum.” Pew
Research Center’s Journalism Project, October 21, 2014.
Blodget, Henry; Danova, Tony. “The Future of Digital.” Business Insider. Nov.12, 2013.
SECTION II: Global Trends in Media & Public Opinion on Climate Change
Class 2. January 29. Overview of Climate Change Coverage, the Politics of Denial,
and the Public Opinion Divide
Required Reading
Wang, X., Nacu-Schmidt, A., McAllister, L., Gifford, L., Daly, M., Boykoff, M., Boehnert, J., and
Andrews, K. (2014). World Newspaper Coverage of Climate Change or Global Warming, 2004-2014.
Center for Science and Technology Policy Research, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental
Sciences, University of Colorado, Web. (skim through figures)
Fischer, Douglas. “Back in the headlines: Climate coverage returns to its 2009 peak. The Daily Climate.”
Jan. 2, 2015.
Santhanam, Laura. “Sunday Shows Cover Climate Change As Much In First Half Of 2014 As In Last
Four Years Combined.” Media Matters for America. July 21, 2014.
Mirkinson, Jack. “TV News Misses Yet Another Opportunity To Cover Climate Change (the Climate
March).” Huffington Post, September 22, 2014.
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Pew Research Center. “Climate Change: Key Data Points from Pew Research.” Pew Research Center,
January 27, 2014.
Wihbey, John. “’Denier,’ ‘Alarmist,’….” Yale Forum on Climate Change & the Media. Aug. 16, 2012.
US
Motel, Seth. “Polls Show Most Americans Believe in Climate Change, but Give It Low Priority.” Pew
Research Center, September 23, 2014.
Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. “Climate Change in the American Mind April 2014.”
June 2, 2014. (Read the highlights and/or skim report)
Goldenberg, Suzanne. “Study suggests far-reaching acceptance of climate change in traditionally
Republican states such as Texas and Oklahoma.” The Guardian. November 13, 2013.
Fuller, Jaime. “Moderate Republicans believe in climate change. There just aren't many moderate
Republicans.” Washington Post Jan. 12, 2015.
Germain, Tiffany. “The Anti-Science Climate Denier Caucus: 114th Congress Edition.”
ThinkProgress. Jan. 8, 2015.
Australia/UK
McGuirk, Rod. “Australia out of Step with New Climate Momentum.” Associated Press, November 28,
2014.
Milman, Oliver. “One-third of Australia’s media coverage rejects climate science, study finds.” The
Guardian. Oct. 30, 2013.
Ong, Thuy. “Climate Change Coverage at a Crossroads in Australia.” Columbia Journalism Review. Nov.
11, 2014.
Optional Reading
Cushman, John. “Climate Contrarians Overrepresented in Media Coverage, New Survey Finds.” Inside
Climate News. August 11, 2014.
Russell Cristine. “Attack of the Climate Denial Books.” Columbia Journalism Review, March 12, 2013.
“Unreliable Sources: How the News Media Help the Koch Brothers and ExxonMobil Spread Climate
Disinformation.” Union of Concerned Scientists. May 13, 2013.
Grandia, Kevin. “Why the media is right to toss climate change deniers’ opinions.” DESMOGBLOG. Oct.
21, 2013.
Tommey, Diane. “Finding a Better Message on the Risks of Climate Change.” Yale Environment 360.
Sept. 12, 2013.
Painter, James. “Climate Change in the Media: Reporting Risk and Uncertainty.” Reuters Institute for the
Study of Journalism. 2013. (Course page; Read Exec. Summary; Chapter 1)
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Hulme, Mike. Why We Disagree About Climate Change: Understanding Controversy, Inaction and
Opportunity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Chapter 7, “The Communication of
Risk.” Read Hulme and/or Boykoff. (Course Page)
Brainard, Curtis. “What Drives Public Opinion About Climate Change.” Columbia Journalism Review.
Feb. 8, 2012.
Multimedia
DeSilver, Drew. “Chart of the Week: 63 Years of Global Climate Change.” Pew Research Center,
January 31, 2014.
Stewart, Jon. “The Global Warming Hoax.” & “War on Carbon.” . The Daily Show. Jan. 6, 2014.
Public Broadcasting System: “Politics of Doubt.” Frontline, WGBH. Oct. 23, 2012.
Recommended: “Timeline: The Politics of Climate Change” & “Beyond US, Climate Politics
Stir Parallel Battles.”
YouTube. “Andrew Revkin: “The Language of Climate Change.” Aug. 29, 2011.
Class 3. February 3. Covering Catastrophe: Extreme Weather Brings Urgency to
Climate Change
Required Reading
“Hotter, Weirder: How Climate Has Changed Earth.” Houston Chronicle, Dec. 2, 2014.
Ritter, Karl, and Frank Bajak, Associated Press. “Climate Change Impacts Heat up UN Talks in Lima.”
ContraCostaTimes.com, December 1, 2014.
Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. “Extreme Weather and Climate Change in the
American Mind in November 2013.” Jan. 23, 2014. (Read the highlights and/or skim report)
Lin Erdman, Shelby. “NOAA: 2014 Is Shaping up as Hottest Year on Record.” CNN, Nov. 30, 2014.
Casey, Michael. “What Will It Take to Get Skeptics to Warm up to Climate Change?” CBS News, Nov.
28, 2014.
Troup Buchanan, Rose. “Climate Change: Global Weather Predicted to Become Increasingly Extreme
despite Warnings.” The Independent, Nov. 27, 2014.
Bohlen, Celestine. “Adjusting the Tune on Climate Change.” New York Times, Dec. 1, 2014.
Goldenberg, Suzanne. “Study says climate change exacerbated half of recent extreme weather events.”
The Guardian. Sept. 5 2013.
Swanson, Emily. “Americans Are Convinced Climate Change is Connected to Stronger Storms, Poll
Says.” Huffington Post. Nov. 22, 2013.
Droughts & Record Heat (California, Australia, UK, etc)
French, Brett. “‘How Long Will It Last, and How Do We Plan?’ California Drought Foreshadows Crisis
for Rest of West.” The Billings Gazette, Nov. 29, 2014.
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Frew, Wendy. “Australia Sweats over Record Heat.” BBC News, Nov. 30, 2014.
Ryall, Jenni. “Severe Weather Hits Australia as G20 Agenda Ignores Climate Change.” Mashable, Nov.
14, 2014.
Knowles, Kitty. “UK Weather: Britain Must Be Prepared for ‘Worst Droughts in Modern Times.’” The
Independent, Sept. 21, 2014.
Military Perspective
Casey, Tina. “It’s Official: US Military Goes All In On Climate Change Adaptation.” CleanTechnica,
August 15, 2014.
Goldenberg, Suzanne. “Pentagon: Global Warming Will Change How US Military Trains and Goes to
War.” The Guardian, Oct. 13, 2014.
Hurricane Sandy
Barrett, Paul M. “It’s Global Warming, Stupid.” Bloomberg Business Week. Nov.1, 2012.
Optional Reading
CNA Military Advisory Board. National Security and the Accelerating Risks of Climate Change. May
2014.
Sisk, Richard. “Army Braces for Global Warming Impacts on Bases.” Military.com, Oct. 14, 2014.
Multimedia
Colman, Zack. “Hagel: Climate Change a ‘Threat Multiplier.’” Washington Examiner, Oct. 13, 2014.
Video: Extreme Realities: Trailer, 2012.
Levin, Kelly. “Timeline: A look at extreme weather and climate events in 2013.” WRI Insights. July 26,
2013.
Video: Freedman, Andrew. “Science Made Simple: Take the Dog for a Walk.” Climate Central. Nov. 28,
2013.
Class 4. February 5. The Big Disconnect: Scientific Consensus, Political Paralysis &
National Security
Required Reading
Samuelsohn, Darren. “The Greening of Barack Obama.” POLITICO, Nov. 18, 2014.
Drake, Bruce. “Obama vs. the Republicans on Environmental Issues: How the Public Views Them.” Pew
Research Center, Nov. 13, 2014.
McGrath, Matt. “Will Obama’s Climate Surprise Deliver a Global Deal?” BBC News, Nov. 12, 2014.
Taylor, Lenore, and Tania Branigan. “US and China Strike Deal on Carbon Cuts in Push for Global
Climate Change Pact.” The Guardian, Nov. 12, 2014.
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Nussbaum, Alex Morales, Alex, and Mark Drajem. “World Cheers U.S., China Carbon Deal as
Republicans Jeer.” Bloomberg, Nov. 12, 2014.
Sheppard, Kate. “China Climate Deal? ‘Pffffft,’ Say Republicans.” Huffington Post, Nov. 12, 2014.
Goldenberg, Suzanne. “Lima Climate Change Talks Best Chance for a Generation, Say Upbeat
Diplomats.” The Guardian, November 30, 2014.
Banerjee, Neela. “Peru climate change talks slowed by clashes of rich and poor nations,” The Age (AU),
Dec. 8, 2014.
IPCC
Fischetti, Mark. “29 Bullets Tell All about Climate Challenge.” Scientific American, Nov. 3, 2014.
Goswami, Urmi. “IPCC Report Warns Governments on Failure to Check Climate Change,” Nov. 3, 2014.
Warrick, Joby, and Chris Mooney. “Effects of Climate Change ‘irreversible,’ U.N. Panel Warns in
Report.” The Washington Post, Nov. 2, 2014.
Roston, Eric. “Enough With the Fat Climate Change Reports Already,” Bloomberg, Oct. 31, 2014.
Russell, Cristine. “To tell a complicated climate science story: simplify, shorten, list: Reporting on the
latest findings from the IPCC.” Columbia Journalism Review (cjr.org). Sept. 30, 2013.
Benestad, Rasmus. “A failure in communicating the impact of new findings.” RealClimate. Dec. 6, 2013.
Optional Reading
Weihua, Chen. “Obama Hails Climate Deal.” China Daily, Nov. 17, 2014.
Upton, John. “The India Problem: Why is it thwarting every international climate agreement?” Slate
Magazine. Nov. 27, 2013.
Borenstein, Seth. “What it means to be 95 percent certain about climate change.” Huffington Post. Sept.
24, 2013.
Burrell, Andrew. “IPCC This Century’s ‘Chicken Little’.” The Australian. Nov. 4, 2013. (Course Page)
Borenstein, Seth. “What it means to be 95 percent certain about climate change.” Huffington Post. Sept.
24, 2013.
Multimedia
Video: IPCC Fifth Assessment Report Synthesis Report - Trailer, 2014.
Atkin, Emily. “Watch Obama’s Top Science Advisor Repeatedly Shut Down Climate Deniers At House
Climate Hearing,” Sept. 18, 2014.
“Fossil Fuels ‘Must Go by 2100’ - IPCC.” BBC News, Nov. 2, 2014.
West, James. “Awkward: Watch a Supercut of Republicans Using China as an Excuse to Do Nothing
about Climate Change.” Mother Jones, Nov. 12, 2014.
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SECTION III: Energy, New Technology and Risk Reporting
Class 5. February 10. SEMINAR. Guest Lecturer: Coral Davenport, Energy &
Environment Reporter, The New York Times
Davenport, Coral. “Optimism Faces Grave Realities at Climate Talks.” New York Times, Nov. 30, 2014.
Davenport, Coral. “Deal on Carbon Emissions by Obama and Xi Jinping Raises Hopes for Upcoming
Paris Climate Talks.” New York Times, Nov. 12, 2014.
Davenport, Coral. “E.P.A. Ozone Rules Divide Industry and Environmentalists.” New York Times, Nov.
26, 2014.
Davenport, Coral. “Meager Returns for the Democrats’ Biggest Donor.” New York Times, Nov. 6, 2014.
Davenport, Coral. “Republicans Vow to Fight E.P.A. and Approve Keystone Pipeline.” New York Times,
Nov. 10, 2014.
Davenport, Coral. “Why Republicans Keep Telling Everyone They’re Not Scientists.” New York Times,
Oct. 30, 2014.
Davenport, Coral. “Pentagon Signals Security Risks of Climate Change.” New York Times, Oct. 13, 2014.
Davenport, Coral. “Large Companies Prepared to Pay Price on Carbon.” New York Times, Dec. 5, 2013.
Class 6. February 12. The Global Game Changer: Media Coverage of the Natural Gas
Revolution and the Resurgence of the Fossil Fuel Industry
Required Reading
Pew Research Center. “Energy: Key Data Points.” Pew Research Center, Jan. 27, 2014.
DeSilver, Drew. “Powered by Oil and Gas, U.S. Energy Production Is on the Rise.” Pew Research
Center, Sept. 26, 2013.
International Energy Agency. “World Energy Outlook 2014,” Nov. 12, 2014. (Press Release. Executive
Summary. Fact Sheet. Presentation Slides.).
Lawler, Alex, Amena Bakr, and Dmitry Zhdannikov. “Saudi Arabia Is At War With The American Shale
Boom.” Business Insider Australia, Nov. 29, 2014.
Roston, Eric. “This Approach to Climate Change Doesn’t Involve Obama, the Senate or the UN.”
Bloomberg, Aug. 28, 2014.
Bousso, Ron; Lawler, Alex, Mackey, Peg. “U.S. to surpass Saudi as top oil producer by 2016 - IEA.”
Reuters. Nov. 12, 2013.
Crooks, Ed. “Revolution in shale transforms market.” Financial Times. Dec. 2, 2013.
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Van Renssen, Sonja. “IEA World Energy Outlook 2014: 5 Takeaways.” CleanTechnica, Nov. 14, 2014.
Pantsios, Anastasia. “160 Leaders Urge Foundations to Divest From Fossil Fuels.” EcoWatch, Sept. 15,
2014.
Optional Reading
Brainard, Curtis; Russell, Cristine. “The New Energy Beat.” Columbia Journalism Review. Sept/Oct,
2009.
Leopold, Wendy. “Energizing media coverage of energy issues.” Northwestern News Center. April 30,
2013.
Multimedia
Woody, Todd. “The old energy economy in 3 maps.” The Atlantic.com Nov. 20, 2013.
Infographics. Christian Science Monitor. US Energy in 5 maps. 2013.
Quiz. “Wait-what is ‘fracking’? An energy vocabulary quiz.” 2013.
Class 7: February 17. The Fractious Public Debate over Fracking
Required Reading
Begos, Kevin. “Landmark Fracking Study Finds No Water Pollution.” Associated Press, Sept. 16, 2014.
Koba, Mark. “Fracking or Drinking Water? That May Become the Choice.” NBC News, Sept. 12, 2014.
Warren, Jennifer. “Fracking at the corner of energy abundance and water scarcity.” Christian Science
Monitor. July 15, 2013.
Lichter, Robert. “The Media’s Gas Problem.” STATS. Oct. 18, 2011.
US
Gold, Russell. “Fracking Gives U.S. Energy Boom Plenty of Room to Run.” Wall Street Journal, Sept.
14, 2014.
Harder, Amy. “Fracking Boom Fractures the Environmental Movement.” National Journal, Nov 20,
2013.
Magill, Bobby. “Most Americans Uninformed” about Fracking Says New Study.” Climate Central, Nov.
21, 2013.
Sontag, Deborah, and Robert Gebeloff. “The Downside of the Boom.” New York Times, Nov. 22, 2014.
Berezow, Alex B. “Debunking the Anti-Fracking Fearmongers.” Frontiers of Freedom, Sept. 19, 2014.
Europe/International
Bakhsh, Nidaa. “Fracking in Europe.” BloombergView, October 30, 2014.
Kanter, James. “Europe votes to tighten rules on drilling method.” New York Times. Oct. 9, 2013.
Carrington, Damian. “UK to allow fracking companies to use ‘any substance’ under homes.” The
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Guardian, Oct. 14, 2014.
Cropley, Ed.“Water, wealth and whites – South Africa’s potent anti-fracking mix.” Reuters. Oct. 28,
2013.
Optional Reading
Morrow, Holly. “Unconventional Gas: Lessons Learned from Around the World,” Oct. 2014.
Bunker Ruiz, Nina. “How Residents of a Rural New Mexico County Fought the Fracking Barons and
Won—For Now.” Resilience, Sept. 16, 2014.
Huffington Post. “DeBlasio: Fracking Poses too much Danger to Water Supply in New York.” Jan. 24,
2014.
Haydon, Tom. “Elizabeth Mayor Says State Won’t Ban Fracking so Towns, Counties Should.” NJ.com,
Sept. 17, 2014.
Phillips, Susan. “MD Governor Proposes Stringent Fracking Regulations.” StateImpact PA Nov. 25,
2014.
Editorial Board. “Call for fracking moratorium is sheer nonsense.” The Fresno Bee CA. Dec. 3, 2013
Multimedia
Lee, Jaeah, and James West. “The Great Frack Forward: A Journey to the Heart of China’s Gas Boom.”
Mother Jones, September 2014. Text and Multimedia
FracTracker. “Exploring data, sharing perspectives, & mapping impacts of oil & gas industry.”
SECTION IV: It’s Not Easy Being Green: The Seesaw Coverage of
Renewable and Clean Energy
Class 8. February 19. Green or Clean: The Seesaw Coverage of Renewable Energy
and Nuclear Power
GUEST: Professor Matthew Bunn, Harvard Kennedy School
Required Reading
Renewables
Gillis, Justin. “Sun and Wind Alter Global Landscape, Leaving Utilities Behind.” New York Times, Sept.
13, 2014.
Holodny, Elena. “Two Big Trends Will Fuel The Renewable Energy Boom For Years.” Business Insider,
Sept. 18, 2014.
Massey, Nathanael. “Political turbulence threatens long-term investment in renewable energy.”
ClimateWire. Nov. 25, 2013.
International Energy Agency. Renewables, Bioenergy, Geothermal, Hydropower, Solar, & Wind.
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US
Carlson, Debbie. “Was Green Energy Just a Fad? With Cheap Oil, Americans Buy Gas Guzzlers Again.”
The Guardian. Dec. 10, 2014.
Brewer, Reuben. “General Electric Company Sees a Big Future for Wind Power; but 2015 Could Be a
Taxing Year.” The Motley Fool, Nov. 23, 2014.
Duva, Nicholas. “US-China Smackdown: America No.1 in Wind Power.” CNBC, Nov. 11, 2014.
Danko, Pete. “Solar Power’s Stunning Growth: US Generation up 100 Percent This Year.” CNBC, Dec.
2, 2014.
Europe
Thomas, Andrea et al. “Germany Moves to Speed Clean Energy Goal.“ Wall Street Journal. Dec. 3, 2014.
Pearce, Fred. “On the Road to Green Energy, Germany Detours on Dirty Coal.” Yale Environment 360.
May 29, 2014.
Overdorf, Jason. “Green fatigue threatens clean-energy leader Germany.” GlobalPost. Nov. 20, 2013.
Copenhagen Post. “Wind Energy Produced Half of Danish Electricity in December.” Jan. 15, 2014.
China & India
McCarthy, Shawn. “China at Forefront of Clean-Energy Market.” The Globe and Mail, November 30,
2014.
Coy, Peter. “Green China? It leads the World in Adding Renewable Electricity.” Bloomberg
BusinessWeek. Nov. 21, 2013.
Ravindran, Shruti. “India’s Push for Renewable Energy: Is It Enough?” National Geographic, Sept. 19,
2014.
Nuclear Energy
PRIS. “The Database on Nuclear Power Reactors.” International Atomic Energy Agency.
Agence France-Presse. “World Bank says no money for nuclear power.” GlobalPost. Nov. 27, 2013.
“Nuclear Power―The Dream that Failed.” The Economist. March 10, 2012.
US
Harder, Amy. “Can the U.S. Government Revive Nuclear Power?” Wall Street Journal, Nov. 23, 2014.
Room for Debate. “Is Nuclear Power the Answer to Climate Change?” NYTimes.com, Nov. 14, 2013.
Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. “Nuclear Power in the American Mind.” March 11,
2012.
Japan & China
Editorial. “Debating Nuclear Energy.” The Japan Times, Dec. 4, 2014.
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Opinion. “Restart Nuclear Power to Revitalize Japan’s Economy.” Daily Yomiuri Shimbun. Nov. 24,
2014
Watanabe, Chisaki & Masumi Suga. “Nuclear Poised to Be Winner as Abe Eyes Broader Japan
Majority.” Bloomberg. Dec. 9, 2014.
Economist. “Nuclear Power in China: Make Haste Slowly.” Dec. 6, 2014.
Other
Tass, Russian News Agency. “Russia may Build up to 24 Nuclear Power Units in India.” Dec. 8, 2014.
Optional Reading
Kovach, Bill & Tom Rosenstiel. Blur: How to Know What’s True in the Age of Information Overload.
Ch. 1, Media Coverage of Nuclear Power Accidents. Bloomsbury, 2011. (Course page)
Russell, Cristine. “The Importance of Energy Reporters.” Columbia Journalism Review. April 8, 2011.
Multimedia
Pandora’s Promise documentary, Trailer (2013)
Soliwon, Diana. “Photos: Alternative Energy Sources.” US News & World Report, Dec. 1, 2014.
“Energy in Brief.” US Energy Information Agency
Class 9. February 24. Techno-Optimism or Pessimism: Can Technology Save the
Day?
Required Reading
Fuel & Batteries
Bloomberg. “Toyota Plans ‘Mirai’ Fuel-Cell Car That Can Go 480 Km per Tank.” The Japan Times
Online, Nov. 17, 2014.
Pyper, Julia, 3-part series. “Hydrogen May Prove Fuel of the Future.” “Sewage Could Provide Fuel of the
Future.” “A New Pathway to Reach Totally Carbon-Free Hydrogen Fuel.” Scientific American, Nov. 18,
19, 20, 2014.
Mulkern, Anne C. “Used Batteries Might Help California Store Renewable Energy.” Scientific American,
Sept. 19, 2014.
Carbon Capture Technology
Buchele, Mose. “Climate Deal Puts Spotlight on Carbon Capture Technology.” State Impact Texas, Nov.
12, 2014.
Herzog, Howard, and Richard Heinberg. “Does ‘Clean Coal’ Technology Have a Future?” Wall Street
Journal, Nov. 23, 2014.
Lorinc, John. “The world’s first carbon capture plant opens in Saskachewan.” The Globe and Mail. Dec.
2, 2014.
Geoengineering
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Keith, David & Mike Hulme, “Climate Science: Can Geoengineering Save the World?” The Guardian,
Nov. 29, 2013.
Shukman, David. “How Could We Intervene to Change the Climate?” BBC News, Nov. 27, 2014.
Other
Topf, Andre. “Why Waterless Fracking Holds So Much Promise.” The Fiscal Times, Nov. 7, 2014.
Optional Reading
Peters, Adele. “This Norwegian House/Powerplant Produces More Than Twice The Energy It Uses.”
Co.Exist, September 17, 2014.
Ridgway, Andy. “Windows Soak Up the Sun’s Power to Create Energy.” Newsweek, Sept. 19, 2014.
Section V: Global Gridlock—It’s Not My Problem
Class 10. February 26. Out of Sight: How News Media Cover (or Don’t Cover) Larger
Energy/Environment Issues in the Developing World
GUESTS via Google Hangout: Andrew Revkin, New York Times DotEarth; Rosalia Omungo,
Kenya Broadcasting System & Others TBD
Required Reading
Ball, Jeffrey. “Climate Change Is Hurting Poor Countries Right Now. Why Won’t Rich Countries Act?”
The New Republic, Nov. 4, 2014.
Huttner, Paul. “Climate Cast: Is Climate Change Destabilizing Iraq?” MPR News Updraft, Sept. 17, 2014.
Morales, Alex. “Island Nations Are Now Screaming It: Climate Change Will Sink Us.” Bloomberg. Dec.
10, 2014.
Vidal, John. “Scientists Reveal ‘fair System’ for Countries to Tackle Climate Change.” The Guardian,
Sept. 21, 2014.
Hance, Jeremy. “World’s Most Vulnerable Nation to Climate Change Turns to Coal Power.” Mongabay,
Nov. 18, 2013.
Jackson, Janine. “Climate Change is not the Future: Reporting needed on present day impacts.” FAIR
Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting. Dec. 2, 2013.
Biello, David. “Can the World Save Lives & Combat Climate Change?” Scientific American. Oct. 1,
2012.
Bhatta, Archita. “Why don’t Indian media write more on climate change?” Reuters. October 21, 2013.
Palmer, Lisa. “Environmental Reporters Receiving Training, To Cover Climate Change In Developing
World.” Yale Climate Connections. July 8, 2010.
Kemboi, Caleb. “Young farmers turn to social media to adapt to climate change.” AllAfrica. July 16,
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2013.
McConnell, Tristan, and Loomis, Nick. “How climate change (Africa) is helping Al Queda.” GlobalPost.
Dec. 2, 2013. (plus video).
Friedman, Lisa. “Led by U.S and China, world diplomats teeter on the edge of a new climate regime.”
ClimateWire, Dec. 10, 2014.
Optional Reading
International Energy Agency. “African Energy Outlook-A Focus on Sub-Saharan Africa.” Oct. 2014.
Carrington, Damian. “World Population to Hit 11bn in 2100 – with 70% Chance of Continuous Rise.”
The Guardian, September 18, 2014.
Mucha, Thomas. “Calamity Calling: A GlobalPost investigation into global climate change.” A yearlong
series from around the world, plus video. GlobalPost. October 28, 2013.
SECTION VI: Keystone XL
Class Role Play Exercise
Class 11. March 3. KEYSTONE XL: Media Coverage of the Divisive Pipeline Debate
GUEST via Skype: Elana Schor, Oil & Gas Energy Reporter, Politico
Required Reading
Geman, Ben, Clare Foran, and Jason Plautz. “Democrats Block Keystone Bill, Landrieu’s Plea Rejected.”
National Journal, Nov. 18, 2014.
Rowland, Kara, and The Associated Press. “Keystone Pipeline Bill Fails in Senate.” FoxNews.com,
Nov.18, 2014.
Mufson, Steve. “The Senate is about to Vote on Keystone XL: Does the Pipeline Still Matter?”
Washington Post, Nov. 18, 2014.
Lund, Jeb. “Keystone XL Doesn’t Mean Anything Anymore. So Why Does It Mean Everything?” The
Guardian, Nov. 18, 2014.
Unger, David. “Keystone XL: the ‘Kim Kardashian of energy’?” Christian Science Monitor, June 12,
2013.
Eilperin, Juliet. “Obama: Keystone XL Could Contribute to ‘Disastrous’ Climate Change.” Washington
Post. Dec. 9, 2014. (Plus Jon Stewart video)
Merica, Dan. “Hillary Clinton Mum on Keystone in Speech to Group Vocally Opposed to It.” CNN, Dec.
1, 2014.
Assis, Claudia. “Americans Favor Keystone, Reject Fracking: Pew Research.” MarketWatch.com. Sept.
27, 2013.
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McGregor, Richard & Crooks, Ed. “Keystone pipeline stranded between warring lobbies.” Financial
Times. Nov. 13, 2013.
Wente, Margaret; Reguly, Eric. “Debate: Should Keystone Pipeline go ahead?” Globe and Mail. Dec. 6,
2013.
Editorial. “Wrong battle for the climate. US should approve Keystone XL.” Financial Times. Nov. 17,
2013.
Schor, Elana.“Are environmentalists getting it wrong on Keystone XL pipeline?” Atlantic.com. Feb. 14,
2013.
Optional Reading
Goldenberg, Suzanne. “Revealed: Keystone Company’s PR Blitz to Safeguard Its Backup Plan.” The
Guardian, Nov.18, 2014.
Kessler, Glenn+Rebuttal. “The Fact Checker: Keystone XL pipeline ad” Washington Post. Nov. 20,
2013.
Multimedia
Chart. “Keystone XL: A Primer.” Washington Post. Nov. 13, 2014.
Soliwon, Diana. “Photos: The Keystone Pipeline’s Journey.” US News & World Report, Dec. 1, 2014.
Video. “Keystone XL spoof features celebrities against controversial pipeline.” Huffington Post. Nov. 6,
2013.
Petition. “I support the Keystone XL Pipeline.” Institute of 21st Century Energy (Chamber of Commerce).
2013.
Class 12. March 5. The Game & the Players:
Class members play American & Canadian Political & Business Leaders, Environmental
Activists, Policy Experts, Celebrities, Members of Local Communities & the Media
Required Reading


Read a variety of articles to get familiar with your character and the other characters in the roleplay.
Prepare for your in-class role-play presentation with your team.
Class 13. March 10. In Character: Role-Play Exercise on KXL Debate
SECTION VII: Conclusion
Class 14. March 12. Lessons Learned: Applying Media/Communication Knowledge
and Skills to your own Professional Life
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