NBA star Lauri Markkanen gets it when it comes to the climate crisis. He definitely understands the seriousness of this issue much better than both our current President and the mainstream media.
Following the release of the International Panel on Climate Change report, and the extremely alarming findings wherein, organizations and individuals have done whatever they can to share their messages about the individual’s role in climate change. Lauri Markkanen, a green activist from Finland, is collaborating with Finnish renewable energy concern Neste by shooting hoops with this year’s world heat map.
2018 is projected to become one of the hottest years on record, further verifying that catastrophic climate change is real and already happening.
Some people haven’t gotten the message despite all the recent historical natural disasters such as the California wildfires, record droughts that caused them, back to back unprecedented hurricane seasons that brought never before seen devastation to Texas, the gulf coast, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
Pictures of the heat map went viral in the summer, as heat waves broke records around the world. The surface of the basketball Markannen presents is covered with a hand-painted visualization of the world heat map. It is pictured above, but you can see more of it in the video below:
— Lauri Markkanen (@MarkkanenLauri) November 26, 2018
“I have been lucky to spend my childhood in Finland, where I was able to enjoy the four seasons of the year,” the hoops star said.
“After becoming a father, protecting our planet and combating climate change has become a priority to me. I want to do everything in my power so that my child will grow up in a clean environment, like I did. This is a call to all my fans to do their share.”
The collaboration is part of Markkanen’s #DontChoke campaign with Neste, which you can learn more about in the following video:
A long time ago, I decided I wanted to make a change in this world. Excuses have never been an option, especially now that I’m a father. By partnering with @nesteglobal I want to inspire everyone to commit to sustainable choices. Are you playing in my team? #DontChoke pic.twitter.com/zM9Yl9fNjX
— Lauri Markkanen (@MarkkanenLauri) November 27, 2018
Markannen is not the first Chicago winter sports team star to take a stand for the environment. Jonathan Toews has previously expressed the voice of his environmental and social conscience in a prominent manner as well. He made a public call to action in June of 2017.
This past Friday, 13 different governmental agencies released an alarming report stating that climate change is real, man made and happening right now. The report detailed what a serious crisis this truly is, but when pressed on it by a reporter, President Donald Trump said he doesn’t believe it.
He blatantly said that he rejects the findings of his own administration, without offering any kind of explanation as to why. And that brings us to why he such an awareness divide in this country when it comes to the climate crisis. Somehow, we’ve let the catastrophic idea that the opinions of everyday citizens with no science expertise should be given equal weight as climate scientists.
There are few, if any issues in America where the scientific community has consensus, but the population at large is bitterly divided. This has been around long before Trump took office. A big reason for the informational divide is the fossil fuel lobby. Big oil and gas have bought have numerous politicians in very high places of power.
They have also created propaganda channels, which look like legitimate research institutions, to present their agenda. Sadly, the mainstream media had played right into their hands. Under the guise of journalistic “both sidesism” or trying to present “balance and fairness,” many media outlets present a climate skeptic and a climate scientist together, and give each individual equal time and space.
This is the mistake of false equivalency, and it’s dumbing down the population on an issue that needs consistent enlightenment and edification.
CNN could likely hire 8 experts to actually explain climate change to its audience for the price it pays Rick Santorum to muddy the waters on a looming catastrophe in the name of “balance.” https://t.co/xCiXGfCh0D
— Pat Cunnane (@PatCunnane) November 25, 2018
Right-wing panelist on Meet the Press on climate change: "I'm not a scientist … We need to also recognize we had two of the coldest years, biggest drop in global temperatures that we have had since the 1980s, the biggest in the last 100 years. We don't talk about that." pic.twitter.com/OLPUZOpoKR
— John Whitehouse (@existentialfish) November 25, 2018
It’s why Meet the Press consistently has a spokesperson from a group funded by the oil companies appear as a panelist on their show. Or CNN pays Rick Santorum, a noted Trump apologist and climate change denialist to be commentator on their programming. The MSM likes to claim it’s because of some high-minded journalistic idealism, but it’s nothing of the sort.
It’s actually about ratings and thus the profit motive, plain and simple. Debate, even where there actually is none drives ratings, so thus CNN, NBC etc. will manufacture debate.
Just tune them out. Pay attention to Lauri Markannen and the people who get it.
“As the latest IPCC report shows, the time to act is now. Our collaboration is set out to challenge people to make responsible choices every day by transforming their mindset. #DontChoke communicates that we shouldn’t choke in front of big challenges, whether they face us on the court, or off it, said Neste Marketing Director Sirpa Tuomi.
“Instead, we have to be courageous and goal-oriented to make better, sustainable choices.”
Read more at the project website.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Lineups.com and Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.