The Advertising Standards Authority is to investigate a government funded climate change awareness campaign after a TV advert received 357 complaints.

Government 'Bed time stories' climate change campaignThe “Bedtime Story” campaign, costing the tax payer £6 million has been accused of scaremongering and ‘misleading the public‘. The advert is the first time the government has stated that there is evidence that climate change is man made. This has prompted complaints arguing that there is no scientific evidence of climate change, or that scientists are divided and therefore cannot attribute climate change to human activity. Another complaint called it inappropriate for children because it is “upsetting and scaremongering”

I expect parents dislike this advert because it will leave their children asking questions that they don’t want to answer. I would hardly call this advert shocking or scaremongering for that matter, at least not compared to some other adverts that are allowed to air. The anti smoking campaigns are far more graphic and recently they too are being directly targeted at children of smokers.

Here is the climate change advert in question for you to make up your own mind:

I don’t necessarily support shock tactics as a way to get a point across, but if far more shocking and graphic adverts are acceptable for things like drugs (Example) or speeding (Example), then you cannot treat this climate change advert any differently. This is by far a greater threat to the people of this country and the world, and if that makes you feel uncomfortable then good, so it bloody well should.