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New Landmark Climate Change Warning Issued; Who Would Kidnap and Sell Schoolgirls?; Spy Plane Fooled Computer System, Leading to Airline Cancellations; Coca-Cola Ditches Controversial Chemical

Aired May 06, 2014 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to all of you. NEWSROOM starts now.

Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me.

Climate change is real, and it's killing the planet, period. And in just a few hours President Obama will sit down with meteorologists from across the country and talk about that. He's calling it weather from the White House.

The interviews come as a stunning National Climate Assessment is being released by the government, and it does not paint a pretty picture.

Chad Myers has a copy of that report. Jim Acosta is at the White House and can tell us if President Obama can actually do anything about climate change. But let's begin with Chad and that report.

What does it say, Chad?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, it breaks down the United States into regions and it says, here's what's happening and here's what we can do. Not just, you know, you're responsible, stop driving bad cars. It actually has some response and what's going on, how it's working and what is going to have to happen in the future.

The northeast will have more heat waves. Increased coastal flooding and severe inland flash flooding because of heavy rainfall. We've already seen that. Fresh water issues for the southeast because there's going to be more people here, and it may not rain as much. Also increased surge from flooding here with tropical systems, obviously, tropical systems hit Florida and the Gulf Coast.

The Midwest, we'll have a longer growing season. That seems like a good thing, but more extreme heat waves, droughts and flash floods may counteract all of that positive effect there in the Midwest. The Great Plains will have more use for water and power because the air is going to be drier and hotter, and you're going to have to try to cool yourself, and cool the plants, and water the plants, obviously right through bread basket of America.

The southwest, severe droughts. Wildfires continue. And the water that it already has is scarce. And with rain, more wildfires that scarce may be far and away exacerbated by what we're going to see here.

In the northwest, a little bit interesting here. Obviously we've seen a lot of the mudslides in the northwest because of the heavy rainfall, but also something else. Because we'll have a warmer climate, the snow may melt sooner, and that will stress the water levels of the rivers of the northwest later in the summer.

Now, Alaska, the sea ice has been rapidly melting, the glaciers are shrinking and the permafrost is thawing. That is a big deal. If the permafrost thaws all the way there is a huge methane problem below that permafrost. The permafrost is keeping that methane down. If that permafrost melts all the way, that methane goes into the atmosphere. That's a worse greenhouse gas than CO2 alone and the ocean.

The oceans are absorbing the CO2. They're turning that CO2 into carbonic acidic making ocean acidification. So the plants, the shells, the -- everything that's kind of a crustacean can't get as good of a shell as it wants to. That alteration and that marine ecosystem will go all the way down the food chain, I've said this all along. If we kill the oceans we kill ourselves. We cannot kill our food chains and the oceans are in trouble. The PH obviously getting more acidified -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Wow. All right. Chad Myers, thanks for the preview. Scary stuff, right?

For its part the Obama administration is planning an all-out media push to tout this report. But just a few years ago some of the president's closes aides were against focusing on climate change. Especially in the midst of a reelection bid. One of them, the former chief of staff Bill Daley. He told "The Washington Post," quote, "There was a sense then it just wasn't the sort of thing you could tee up in 2011 with an election coming up. With respect to my friends in the environmental community to put this at front of the list you might as well have taken a gun to your head and shot yourself."

Pretty extreme statement. Right?

I want to bring in Jim Acosta now. He's at the White House.

So, Jim, is this a better time?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: A little Chicago subtlety there from Bill Daley. No, you know, I think the White House believes this is the right time, although it is -- it is a tricky balancing act for the president. Yes, they do want to fire up that Democratic base, environmentalists are a key part of that base. And so this climate change report, you know, there's probably some of that directed towards that community, but this is something that, Carol, remember, the president has been talking absence 2008.

Remember when he was out on the campaign trail, and said this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal? Well, a lot of environmentalists are disappointed that this president has not been able to really do much on the climate change front since coming into office. A lot of that is because his climate agenda has been stalled up on Capitol Hill.

Republicans just don't want policies like cap and trade. And so what the president has done instead is strike out on his own with executive actions. He's got one coming up in June that will limit power plant emissions. And that has actually cleared its way through the court so that's going to be going into effect despite a lot of opposition from the energy sector and a lot of Republicans up on Capitol Hill.

He's also raised fuel efficiency standards, and so forth. But that's about all they can do, really taking the executive action route.

And keep in mind, Carol, there's still this Keystone pipeline project that has to be decided on. The administration has sort of punted that one down the road for a few more months. That has delighted environmentalists but at the same time you've got a lot of endangered red state Democrats who are saying, wait a minute. We want this project -- we want this project approved because it means jobs in states where we would like to get re-elected later on this fall.

So it's really fraught with politics for the White House. But as you said, the president is going to be in the Rose Garden talking to meteorologists around the country. It's part of a strategy to make this local for communities around the country as Chad mentioned, region by region, showing the effects of climate change -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jim Acosta reporting live from the White House. Thank you.

Also this morning, there is a new ground swell of outrage over the -- over the abduction of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls and the terrorists' latest threat to sell the teenagers as child brides or sex slaves.

This is the Nigerian embassy in Washington where a rally is set to begin at the top of the hour. Many people sympathetic to the horrors endured by the girls and their families. They feel Nigeria's government has been too slow to mobilize to try and rescue these girls.

There is one question bouncing around the world, too, and in a variety of languages who could be so inhumane that they could kidnap schoolgirls and then threaten to sell them?

The militant group, Boko Haram, has a well-deserved reputation for cruelty and ruthlessness.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO (voice-over): This video shows the leader of Boko Haram making an outrageous and repugnant announcement vowing to sell 223 girls abducted last month from a school in north eastern Nigeria.

ABUBAKAR SHEKAU, LEADER OF BOOK HARAM: I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah.

COSTELLO: This isn't the first time the Islamic extremist group has taken responsibility for a horrific deed. According to Amnesty International in just the first three months of this year, more than 1500 people have died in violence related to Boko Haram. The group dates back more than 10 years but became increasingly violent in 2009 after widespread clashes in northeast Nigeria with the military.

In the aftermath hundreds of Boko Haram members were killed among them the group's then leader Mohamed Youssef. Since then Boko Harma has carried out audacious attacks on churches, mosques and markets, entire villages have razed to the ground, residents killed in fire bomb attacks, shot and some victims have been even hacked to death.

TISEKE KASAMBALA, DIRECTOR, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, SOUTHERN AFRICA: What we've seen is increasingly vicious attacks by Boko Haram in remote villages, schools, and businesses.

COSTELLO: Last November the State Department designated Boko Haram as a terrorist organization, and they estimate the membership ranges in the hundreds to a few thousand.

So what motivates this diabolical group? Boko Haram translates to "Western education is a sin." The group aims to establish a fully Islamic state in Nigeria and implement Sharia law. A 2013 congressional report on homeland security called Boko Haram a sophisticated ally of Al Qaeda.

As for Abubakar Shekau, the current leader, he's been on the radar of U.S. officials since he came into power since 2009. Last June the U.S. put a bounty on him offering a reward up to $7 million for information leading to his location.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And the outcry on social media to get these girls home just keeps growing. Ireports pouring into CNN. Photos from all over the world where people showing their support and videos demanding action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We mandates the federal government to bring back our daughters. Our children.

COSTELLO: The outrage on Twitter also ramping up with photos and tweets posting to the hash tag bringbackourgirls. Hillary Clinton tweeted access to education is a basic right. And in unconscionable reason to target innocent girls. We must stand up to terrorism. Texas Congressman Ted Poe wrote, "N o life should be stolen for $12. And Mia Farrow tweeted, "Educated women are the biggest threat to Islamic extremists."

Here at CNN we're not giving up on these girls, we'll bring you the latest developments as this story unfold. If you would like to help girls worldwide trying to overcome barriers to education you can go to our Web site. That address CNN.com/impact.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, new -- a new computer outsmarted by an old spy plane and it brings air traffic to a halt.

Rene Marsh is on the story. Good morning.

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION AND GOVERNMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. A U.S. spy plane over California disrupts a critical air traffic control computer system, and temporarily paralyzes air traffic in Southern California. We'll dig into how it happened, and why was that plane there in the first place?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Checking our top stories at 13 pas the hour. Traffic nightmare in California this morning after a bridge fire shut down I- 15. It is a major artery between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The bridge that crosses over the highway was under construction when sparks from blowtorches ignited some wooden support beams. This highway could be closed for at least another day because debris keeps falling on to the roads below.

A diver has died while searching for bodies in the sunken ferry off South Korea. Officials say the diver had trouble with oxygen supply five minutes into the dive. By the time fellow divers reached him, they were unable to resuscitate him. Thirty-five people still missing in that ferry disaster. More than 250 bodies, most of them students, have now been recovered.

A new CNN poll finds Americans are split over whether NBA owners should force Donald Sterling to sell the L.A. Clippers. 47 percent in favor. 50 percent opposed. The difference within the sampling error.

On the court last night, the Clippers opened their second round playoff series with a bang. Chris Paul knocked down eight, count them, eight three pointers as the Clippers stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-105.

We now know what's to blame for an FAA computer shutdown that delayed, diverted or cancelled dozens of flights last Wednesday. It was because of a spy plane, one of our own spy planes. It seems the old fashion U2 plane through threw the newfangled computer for a loop.

CNN's Rene Marsh is here with more.

And I just wasn't aware that spy planes, our own spy planes, were still flying up there over the United States.

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Now, we all know, Carol. We do know the spy plane was on a routine training mission over California, and as you said, that plane fried the FAA computer system. The computer glitch temporarily paralyzed air traffic in southern California last week. Flights grounded, delayed and diverted as several airports, including LAX, the third busiest in the U.S. As they were trying to fix this problem.

So the question is, how did this spy plane overwhelm FAA's computer system?

Well, the U2 fooled it essentially, making the FAA computer think it was much lower and in a more crowded airspace. But the spy plane actually flies very high. Altitudes at high as 70,000 to 90,000 feet, well-above commercial air traffic.

The problem was, its numerous altitude changes and the fixed points scheduled to hit during its flight, it's just overwhelmed the system. The computers didn't have enough memory to input all of that data. So, it just crashed.

And the situation further complicated when a communications and radar system also went down. We do know that the FAA says that it's adding more memory to its computers so it can handle all of that data -- Carol.

COSTELLO: That's a good thing. Rene Marsh, thanks so much.

MARSH: Sure.

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM: first, Subway. Now, Coca- Cola. Up next, why the company behind some of your favorite drinks like Powerade and Fanta has finally decided to ditch a chemical in its products that's also found in flame retardants.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Coca-Cola is the latest company to try to give consumers healthier options. The soft drink giant plans to remove a controversial ingredient found in flame retardants from its beverages.

So, why didn't it do it before?

Let's bring in CNN's chief business correspondent Christine Romans.

Wow.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. OK. It's called brominated vegetable oil and it's something that stabilizes ingredients in flavored drinks. And it's something frankly that some activists have been saying shouldn't be there in the first play, why? Because it's also used as a flame retardant and it's not allowed in the E.U. and Japan.

Now, this is what Coke is telling you. It's removing it from its products. They say, all of their beverages, including those that BVO in it, again, flame retardant, are safe, and they always have been, Carol. They comply with all regulations in the countries where sold. Well, by the way, they can't be sold like that in the E.U. and Japan.

And it's sort of a move, I think, this came after this young woman posted a Change.org petition against Pepsi for Gatorade, having this in Gatorade. It spread on to other kinds of products as well. Now a lot of people want them out, and Coca-Cola is saying it will take them out.

COSTELLO: Well, it's interesting one person online can force a huge company like Coca-Cola to take stuff out of its products.

ROMANS: This young woman, in 2012, started with Change.org petition. Two major companies are changing products in their beverages. I mean, it's gross, kind of, when you think on the surface it's used in flame retardants. It's in plastic. Used in some kinds of furniture. Has been used in this product.

What are they going to replace it with? This is what's interesting, Carol. I don't know if you have glasses on. A sucrose acetate isobutyrate and glycerol ester of rosin, either together or separately. That's something that's used in gum. It's something that's used in other flavored drinks.

COSTELLO: Why is the flame retardant in Coca-Cola? Do we know?

ROMANS: It helped keep the different, even the citrus flavored kinds of drinks and flavor drinks, it keeps the ingredients from separating, because you want it to be blended. It's a chemical that blends. There's a lot of chemicals in our food, Carol, and in our drinks. Now, we're becoming much more conscience of that.

COSTELLO: And that's a good thing.

ROMANS: And that's a good thing. I think also it comes at a time when companies like Coke are trying to address the natural kinds of ingredients that people want in their foods and drinks.

COSTELLO: Young people, they're eating far differently than we did.

ROMANS: And they know about it, and they care about it. You know?

COSTELLO: That's awesome. Christine Romans, thank you so much.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM. Michelle Knight in other own words on how she survived ten years of torture inside a Cleveland home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE KNIGHT, KIDNAPPING SURVIVOR: I always thought that I could make it through, because I made it through so much in my life -- so much pain, so much torture. So, I was, like, already prepared for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: After a break, hear more of Knight's amazing story of survival.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me.

It was one year ago today that a nightmare ended for three Cleveland women who were kidnapped for more than a decade. Michelle Knight, Gina DeJesus, and Amanda Berry and her daughter were able to escape the home of Ariel Castro after suffering years of torture, rape, beatings and starvation. Their kidnapper was sentenced to life in prison, and he took his own life while behind bars back in September.

Michelle Knight is now talking about her terrible ordeal. She sat down with CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Why did you want to write a book? Why did you want to have your story out there?

KNIGHT: To help other women, children, men, know that they can survive any type of problem in their life.

COOPER: That's your message? That you can survive anything?

KNIGHT: Yes.

COOPER: Because that's the feeling I got just reading your book. I don't know how you survived.

KNIGHT: Tremendous strength.

COOPER: Did you always know that you could survive? I mean, obviously, there were moments you thought you weren't going to, but did you --

KNIGHT: There were moments, but overall, I always thought that I could make it through, because I made it through so much in my life -- so much pain, so much torture. So I was, like, already prepared for it.

COOPER (voice-over): Prepared for it, she says, because growing up in Cleveland all Michelle Knight knew was pain. Starting at a young age, she says she suffered from physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

At 17 years old, she found herself pregnant.

(on camera): You write in the book that giving birth was the greatest experience, the happiest moment of your life?

KNIGHT: Yes, it was the happiest moment of my life because I had somebody to finally love me back, as much as I loved that baby.

COOPER: But when her son Joey was 2 years old, her mother's boyfriend abused him and the state took Joey away from 21-year-old Michelle. She hoped to get her child back, and on a sunny day, August 23rd, 2002, Michelle had an appointment with social services to do just that.

She says her ride backed out and she started to walk, and ask people for directions.

KNIGHT: And then the dude walks in. He overheard me and the lady talking. So he was like, I know where the place is at.

COOPER: You call him "the dude." why the dude?

KNIGHT: Because he don't deserve a name.

COOPER: That dude was Ariel Castro, the father of one of Michelle's friends. He offered her a ride but first had to pick something up on Seymour Avenue.

What did he tell you to get you inside the house?

KNIGHT: In the car, he said he had puppies.