Entertainment As Miseducation

A central issue in all forms of environmental protection activism is the intentional miseducation of the public about environmental issues via the entertainment media. There have been a lot of "thriller" novels and movies that show some form of wild animal or some natural weather occurance as the threat. These movies and books do a grave diservice to the public by giving the impression that sharks, alligators, tigers, gorillas, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other parts of the natural world are dangerous and the prevention of that danger is the "heroic" thing to do. Such books and movies make the job of environmentalists harder when they try to get protection for endangered species of shark, for example. There have also been a lot of such thrillers in which some fanatical group of environmentalists try to do something like blow up a nuclear power plant to "save the environment". They are always thwarted at the last moment by the heroic FBI agent who saves the innocent victims and preserves the status quo. These absurd "entertainment" novels and movies are not just an accident. They are a part of a longstanding propaganda campaign by the ecconomic forces that benefit from the status quo and exploitation of "resources" at the cost of destruction of the environment.  Hollywood and the major publishing companies are a part of the problem. This sort of misleading "entertainment" should be exposed and fought at every oportunity because it makes it that much harder to win suport for needed environmental protections. Including the protection of hurricanes and tornadoes.  Fortunately, there is an Endangered Species Act to protect wildlife. Someday, if cloudbuster proliferatrion continues, we may need an Endangered Weather Systems Act to protect hurricanes and tornadoes from destructive members of the public who get their science "education" from thriller novels and Hollywood movies.