CBS’s Nate Burleson Ties Massive Volcano, Tsunami to Climate Change

CBS Mornings co-host and former NFL player Nate Burleson took the climate change narrative to a whole new level as, during Wednesday’s show, he cited the “harsh reality” Climate change and how we all need to adapt “to do our part”It relates to Tonga’s January 14th volcanic eruption.

To repeat: A network journalist — who makes millions — tied a volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami to climate change. Worse yet, he even claimed they’ll become “more frequent.” And when? called outYou can find him at denied having said something untrue and may have copy-pasted the first result from Google Images of “volcano climate change.”

First, let’s see what he actually said. Co-host and Democratic donor Gayle King opened the extended brief by showing two sets of before and after satellite images, adding “[t]elephone communication…is slowly starting to return” with the country “[c]overed in a thick coat of volcanic ash” While “[t]hree of its smaller islands suffered serious damage from tsunami waves that reached almost 50-feet high.”

Remarking how “that is high,” co-host Tony Dokoupil explained that’s the height of “a five-story building” Burleson was able to rescind his incorrect claim from that point. “You know, we often times talk about climate change quite a bit. These stories are a harsh reality of what we’re going through and we have to do our part because these are more frequent.”

King did nothing to push back, saying “yes” and then “yep” while he spoke. Dokoupil, for his part, replied: “Yes. “Yes, and for those who live west of the Big One, it is. People are worried.”

After King said she “saw some stuff over the weekend that was very troubling” about that, the back-and-forth ended on a positive note as Burleson said: “We do know they need help to recover.”

Video of the false claim was filmed just over an hour later was tweetedBurleson answered:

This is a complete lie. Between the recap we’ve provided, transcript below, and video above, you be the judge.

You can also check the Google Image searchesFor “volcano climate change” How Burleson made use of the first available image without reading the accompanying U.S. Geological Survey ArticleExplaining how volcanic activity affects our climate.

The crew was joined by Jan Vogler, cellist Jan Vogler and actor Bill Murphy later on the show to discuss their new documentary New World: The Cradle of Civilization and Murray took a dig at Burleson as a novice in the news profession compared to Dokoupil and King (click “expand”):

BURLESON, Bill: The rest of the group is now in the green area. Was it a great experience to collaborate with this talented trio? 

MURRAY: Well, you know, kind of like you feel — you let them do all the heavy lifting and you sort of steam.

BURLESON: That’s right — how did you know, man? 

MURRAY: You’re just laying behind them.

BURLESON – I am giving up my strategy, man. 

MURRAY: That’s alright. It’s all clear to me. What’s happening is what I see.

Ouch.

Burleson’s flub was made possible thanks to advertisers such as Chevy and Swiffer. Follow the links to see their contact information at the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.

To see the relevant CBS transcript from January 19, click “expand.”

CBS Mornings
January 19, 2022
Eastern at 7:16

GAYLE KING: Today we will take you to Tonga. Tonga was devastated in the aftermath of a major undersea volcanic explosion. Now, the damage done by that explosion and tsunami last weekend is beginning to be more apparent. A massive explosion that was 500 times more powerful than Hiroshima’s atomic bomb caused by the eruption. Here’s a satellite image of Tonga that shows it as it was last month. 

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Images of Destruction; Pictures From Tonga Show Catastrophic Damage After Volcano and Tsunami]

TONY DOKOUPIL, Wow.

KING: Have a look at this.

NATE BURLESON, Wow.

THE KING: A thick layer of volcanic ash covers the King. This was an important port prior to the eruption. It is nearly unrecognizable now. 

DOKOUPIL: Ooh. 

KING: Although telephone communication with Tonga has been slowly returning since the eruption it may take several weeks before the service is fully restored. The tsunami wave that reached nearly 50ft in height caused severe damage to three of the smaller islands. 

DOKOUPIL: That’s a five-story building. 

KING: Yes. Easily. 

DOKOUPIL: Wow.

KING: Those pictures —

BURLESON: You know, we often times —

KING: — tell the story. 

BURLESON: —  talk about climate change — 

KING: Yes.

BURLESON: — quite a bit — 

KING: Yep.

BURLESON – These are harsh realities of our lives and we must do what we can to make them less frequent. 

DOKOUPIL: Yes. Yes, and the clock ticks on the big one if you live on the west coast. 

KING: Yeah.

DOKOUPIL: The people are concerned. 

KING 

DOKOUPIL: Yeah, indeed. 

BURLESON: We know that they require help in recovering.

KING: Yep.

BURLESON: That’s for sure.

KING: The story will be told.