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NYT Marriage Announcement: Energy and Environment

Posted by Anna Fahey
A new section in the paper makes it official: energy and environment are inseparable.

Wedding CakeA while back I was complaining about how public opinion polls fail to connect the dots between issues (and solutions) that are clearly related: energy, economy, jobs, environment. The result of this artificial separation is most often that the environment is counted as a low priority. 

But more and more, the separation rings false -- and the prioritization fails to make sense either. Energy policy is environmental policy. 

That's why I was glad to see The New York Times (among the heavies when it comes to setting the agenda for the news media and public discourse) roll out a new section: Energy and Environment.

The new Energy & Environment section just launched with comprehensive news, analysis and insights. Refer to new topic guides on biofuels, coal, wind energy and more. Also, watch a new series of videos tracking the progress of making a 60-year-old home more energy efficient.

AND...it's in the Business section!

It's like a big splashy marriage announcement. If the NYT is connecting the dots in this formal, highly-visible way, it's a good sign of a shifting zeitgeist. (I know it's uncool to say zeitgeist these days...sorry.) Even better, when the dots are connected -- by the public as well as elected officials -- policy that works on multiple levels is more likely to follow.



Comments
Posted by Salmonsam 03/05/2009 09:05 AM
Indeed, I noticed our local little paper running a similar section this past fall. The articles are still grouped in silos, but it is a bit easier to tease out the meta-narrative when they are grouped together.

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