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Life imitated art in the most unfortunate way on a recent episode of Good Morning Britain.
Climate activist Miranda Whelehan was a guest on the news program to promote Just Stop Oil, an environmental activism movement that describes itself as "a coalition of groups working together to ensure the Government commits to halting new fossil fuel licensing and production."
Whelehan attempted to explain the group's mission and the urgent need for humanity to stop using fossil fuels.
But presenter Richard Madeley all but dismissed the cause, calling it "quite childish."
You can see the segment here:
'I think the children and the future deserve that.'\n\n'Just Stop Oil' activists protested across London this weekend to demand an end to the fossil fuel economy. Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis means many people are paying more & more for fuel. Are oil protests justified?pic.twitter.com/mnnIFlJvQT— Good Morning Britain (@Good Morning Britain) 1649660454
As reported by The Wrap, viewers quickly likened the exchange to the 2021 Netflix disaster film Don't Look Up, in which climate scientists played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence appear on a morning talk show to warn the public about an impending natural disaster, only to be dismissed and belittled by the show's hosts.
Similarly to Whelehan, Lawrence's character snaps when the hosts make jokes about the planet's impending doom.
On Twitter, MSNBC and The Mehdi Hasan Show host Mehdi Hasan posted a side by side comparison of a scene from the movie and Whelehan's Good Morning Britain appearance.
You can see it here:
So folks have been comparing the weird @GMB morning show interview with the climate activist in the UK with *that* scene from #DontLookUp.\n\nSo we at the @MehdiHasanShow put them side by side & the results are.. astounding. Reality mirroring art!\n\nWatch:pic.twitter.com/0n13zgQ2hd— Mehdi Hasan (@Mehdi Hasan) 1649880795
People were not impressed by the GMB hosts and were clearly on the side of climate activists.
The IPCC report says we have three years to turn out emissions around or we will face climate catastrophe. We have 28 years to get to Net Zero emissions. We cannot wait for the perfect solution, we need to act now. Well done #JustStopOilhttps://twitter.com/GMB/status/1513411754830835717\u00a0\u2026— Colm Byrne (@Colm Byrne) 1649752872
She's not an ordinary person she's a journalist with a megaphone.\nFor young people to get their voices heard they have to do 'irritating' things to get on TV.\nIt worked even if Madeley just patronised her.— Dean Morrison \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udf3b#FBPE #RejoinEU (@Dean Morrison \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udf3b#FBPE #RejoinEU) 1649693746
I stand with the oil protesters. The Gov\u2019t is not acting quickly enough on the climate catastrophe. We must call the Gov\u2019t to account.\n\nI don\u2019t watch @GMB. I don\u2019t feel they treated the young protestor with dignity or respect or took the climate catastrophe seriously.— Paul Gibson (@Paul Gibson) 1649680146
They have tried EVERYTHING and still governments don't listen! Why won't journos like Turner and Madeley wake up?!https://twitter.com/ClimateHuman/status/1513564975524024323?t=NL0OvuI6b3OZnlcSGPM6kQ&s=19\u00a0\u2026— cushydoo (@cushydoo) 1649746481
The general public need to be made aware so that they can vote for a government that tackles climate change!— \ud83e\udd8aKatie-Lee Laurence (@\ud83e\udd8aKatie-Lee Laurence) 1649775800
We would like to voice our admiration for Miranda Whelehan in this latest iteration of #DontLookUp\n@GMBhttps://twitter.com/GMB/status/1513411754830835717\u00a0\u2026— COP27 Climate Action Plan (@COP27 Climate Action Plan) 1649769615
Young, scientifically literate woman gets mocked live on air by Madeley for advocating exactly what the worlds scientists are advocating for: an end to fossil fuels.\n\nTo quote @DrTedros "Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness"\n\n#DontLookUphttps://twitter.com/GMB/status/1513411754830835717\u00a0\u2026— Irish Doctors for the Environment (@Irish Doctors for the Environment) 1649751267
The paternalistic and patronising questioning of activists by @GMB presenters here is offensive. Remember that the activists\u2019 methods may be triggering for people, but they are completely correct about the science #DontLookUp #JustStopOilhttps://twitter.com/GMB/status/1513411754830835717\u00a0\u2026— Tom Rivett-Carnac (@Tom Rivett-Carnac) 1649739353
On the Just Stop Oil site, the group uses a quote from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change, Sixth Assessment Report to explain why their movement is needed.
“The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future."
Climate change is becoming a bigger and and more urgent issue as time goes on, but few world leaders are willing to address or take notable action against it.
Hopefully Whelehan's work will help convince more people to trust in science.