The Weather Channel Announces The One Degree Hot List; Individuals And Organizations, Making The Greatest Impact On Global Climate Change

Gore, Schwarzenegger and Bush Top Inaugural List

Dec 13, 2006 - ATLANTA - One Degree, www.weather.com/onedegree, a broadband site dedicated to climate change developed by The Weather Channel Interactive (TWCI), today announced the inaugural One Degree Hot List, naming the 10 individuals, groups or companies that most influenced global climate change discussion in 2006.

The One Degree Hot List was determined by a panel of environmentalists, academics, scientists and editors from The Weather Channel and will be published annually. The 2006 One Degree Hot List exemplifies the global climate change movement during this past year and where the debate is headed. The One Degree Hot List includes the following individuals, groups and companies:

• Former Vice President Al Gore

• Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California state lawmakers Fabian Nunez, Don Perata and Fran Pavley

• Competitive Enterprise Institute

• President George W. Bush

• James Hansen, Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York

• Senator John McCain and Senator Joe Lieberman

• Laurie David, Activist

• Richard Cizik, Vice President for Governmental Affairs at the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE)

• Wal-Mart

• British Prime Minister Tony Blair

“Our purpose for creating the One Degree Hot List is simple and straightforward. We want to find ways of bringing attention to the issue of global climate change in a manner that everyone will understand,” said Matthew de Ganon, vice president broadband and consumer applications.

Why They Made the List

Former Vice President Al Gore Topping the list is the former Vice President Al Gore. With his unlikely hit film An Inconvenient Truth, Gore became the official climate change spokesperson for millions across the globe presenting possibly the most widely distributed (and highest grossing) global climate change lecture in history.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California state lawmakers Fabian Nunez, Don Perata and Fran Pavley The bipartisan foursome of California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic state lawmakers Fabian Nunez, Don Perata and Fran Pavley can take credit for enacting the most sweeping greenhouse gas emissions reductions law in U.S. history to date.

Competitive Enterprise Institute CEI is a non-profit public policy organization that advocates for free enterprise and a limited government. In 2006, the Competitive Enterprise Institute played defense as one of the most influential contrarians to the mainstream scientific view of global climate change.

President George W. Bush As president of the United States, it is hard to imagine George W. Bush not making a 2006 “most influential” list on any global topic. On the subject of climate change, the Bush administration pursued diplomatic partnerships with countries such as China and Japan to advance technological research and cooperation, but remains opposed to the Kyoto Protocol. Ironically, opposition helped President Bush make the Hotlist. For example, by opposing mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, he gave states such as California and New York reason to act on their own.

James Hansen, Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York James Hansen’s clout with his colleagues in the scientific community and his commitment to engaging policymakers and the press allows him to assume the role of a trusted dean of all climate scientists rather than just an individual researcher.

Senator John McCain and Senator Joe Lieberman The bipartisan duo of Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) continued to serve as the climate change conscience of the Senate this year, and their hard work appeared to be paying off, albeit slowly. Both senators worked tirelessly to educate their colleagues on climate change science.

Laurie David, Activist In 2006, Laurie David fused the science of global climate change with popular culture by serving as a juggernaut of activism and entertainment. David uses her communications skills and entertainment industry contacts to break new ground in telling the story of global climate change. Along with Arizona Senator John McCain and environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., David founded the nonpartisan Stop Global Warming Virtual March.

Richard Cizik, Vice President for Governmental Affairs at the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) Richard Cizik is spearheading efforts to persuade churches that it’s their responsibility as like-minded evangelical Christians to combat global climate change, and that it’s in the best political interest of lawmakers to respond to their concerns.

Wal-Mart Corporation Cutting greenhouse gas emissions joined slashing prices as a key priority for Wal-Mart executives this year as the retail giant moved forward with a series of steps to meet ambitious environmental goals. The scale of the company’s intentions matches its massive size as the number one private employer in the United States and top private user of electricity in the world.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair In 2006, British Prime Minister Tony Blair relentlessly pushed climate change to the top of the international. Blair’s leadership has put the U.K. on a path to exceed its Kyoto commitments. Blair’s government has taken a wide array of steps to reduce emissions, including imposing a climate levy on British industry, exploring emissions cuts in the transportation sector and increasing its use of renewable energy.

For more details on the One Degree Hot List visit www.weather.com/onedegree where you can read more about the list and add your comments to a new blog entry detailing the Hot List selection process from Matt de Ganon of The Weather Channel Interactive.

About The Weather Channel Interactive The Weather Channel Interactive is the leading provider of broadband and wireless weather products including weather.com, Desktop Weather by The Weather Channel, and The Weather Channel Mobile. weather.com, the Web site of The Weather Channel, is the ultimate source of weather on the Web helping users plan their lives by delivering timely current conditions, expert forecasts and relevant lifestyle content for 98,000 locations worldwide. weather.com reaches more than 30 million unique users each month, is the most popular source of online weather, news and information and is the most trusted source of online weather information according to Nielsen//NetRatings. The Weather Channel Interactive also provides consumers with unique and customizable products such as Desktop Weather and a full lineup of mobile services including downloads, messaging, mobile Web, and mobile video.

About One Degree One Degree, The Weather Channel’s broadband offering dedicated to climate change, is humanizing the impact of climate change by presenting both general information and bringing into focus how climate change is affecting people’s daily lives. The site www.weather.com/onedegree presents issues and open dialogue around a wide range of climate-related topics with and amongst users, guest bloggers and experts from The Weather Channel. The Weather Channel’s network program, The Climate Code hosted by Dr. Heidi Cullen, provides open dialogue around climate change as well as educates and informs consumers about the important issues relating to the climate.

Contact Information

David Blumenthal

The Weather Channel Interactive

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