Join @GreenpeaceUSA on 7/30 at 9pm ET for live tweeting of the ultimate fake extreme weather event of the year Sharknado 2: The Second One with Climate Campaign Director Kelly Mitchell @kellyemitchell and Oceans Campaign Director John Hocevar @JohnHocevar.
Duh-duh, duh-duh, DUH-DUH! Hear that? Its the sound of the massive social media storm about to hit us this Wednesday at 9pm EDT when Sharknado 2: The Second One premieres.
For the uninitiated, a sharknado is exactly what it sounds like. A tornado made of sharks. But dont worry, its not even close to real. It was, however, the ultimate campy scifi made-for-tv movie of 2013, with over 1 million people tuning in when it aired. And this week, the fin-omenon is back for a second round, featuring Tara Reid, Vivica A. Fox, and even Kelly Osbourne.
You may be wondering why Greenpeace would take interest in a movie that is not exactly shark-friendly, nor based in scientific fact. But anywhere there are sharks AND extreme weather, we simply cant help ourselves. We have to weigh in.
Thats why Greenpeace’s Climate Campaign Director and Oceans Campaign Director will be live tweeting during the Sharknado 2 premiere on 7/30 at 9PM EDT. Follow along @GreepeaceUSA @Kellyemitchell and @JohnHocevar for a dose of climate and shark facts to compliment all that shark snark.
A bit too worried about Sharknadoes heading your way? Want to get prepared for the coming storm? We have your back. Here are 7 reality checks that may just come in handy Wednesday night!
1. Sorry to disappoint, but sharks in the vicinity of LA and NY actually arent out to eat people. In fact, the most common species of shark in the waters near LA and NYC is the spiny dogfish, which is not a danger to humans. In the rare cases when a shark does bite a human, its usually because it mistook us for something tastier.
Harmless spiny dogfish are the most common sharks around LA and NY.
2. A sharks attacking New Yorkers from the skies? No way. New York is actually one of the most shark-friendly states around! Just last year, New York state banned the sale of shark fins, a delicacy that drives the overfishing of sharks around the world.
3. More storms due to climate change? Maybe. Sharknados? Never. There is growing evidence that as the climate warms, certain areas in the US will experience increasingly strong thunderstorms that could spawn tornadoes. But when truly rough waters hit, sharks tend to swim deeper rather than get sucked into the sky.
4. Sharknado may be gruesome for all those CGI sharks, but real sharks actually have it much worse. During the first Sharknado (and likely The Second One), our protagonist has to take out several sharks a minute to get to safety. But in reality, humans kill an estimated 3 sharks a second.
5. Compared to the extreme weather problems Los Angeles and New York may face in the future, Sharknadoes are small potatoes. Climate change is warming the oceans, which may mean stronger hurricanes a big problem on the East Coast. Meanwhile drought and increased risk of fire are big looming threats in the West.
6. There are worse things in the world that Tara Reids acting. For instance, as an ocean without sharks. There are over 350 species of shark worldwide, and each provides an essential function in its ecosystem. But humans are taking sharks out of the water faster than they can breed. And if theres one thing scarier than an airborne shark, its an extinct one.
7. Don’t get too comfortable. The ocean is coming to NYC, just in the form of sea level rise instead of Sharknadoes. But great news! we dont need chainsaws to fight this one. Instead, we need move to clean, renewable energy, and protect the forests and oceans that act as CO2 reserves for the planet.
So if you plan to tune in to Sharknado 2 during the premiere on 7/30 at 9pm EDT , dont forget to join us on Twitter @GreenpeaceUSA for a side of facts to compliment this epic (and… terrible) fiction!
