CNN warns: Jack-o'-lanterns are a 'big cause of climate change' and contain water that we 'never' get back

Mainstream media is looking to dampen the fun of one of the longest-lasting October traditions: carving and putting out jack-o'-lanterns for Halloween.

CNN warned about the dangerous effects on climate change that pumpkins — more specifically jack-o'-lanterns — can have due to their methane and water levels.

"More than 1 billion pounds of pumpkins are grown in the U.S. every year," the network's report began, before it warned that millions of pumpkins end up in landfills after Halloween.

The report leaned on commentary from Beverly Jaszczurowski, CEO of Scarce, an environmental group focused on recycling and reusing commercial products.

The CEO cautioned that since pumpkins are composed mostly of water, that water cannot be recouped when the pumpkin is thrown away.

"Pumpkins are about 90% water, and then that water gets trapped in the landfill and we never get it back," Jaszczurowski said.

CNN's report noted, however, that even when decomposing, the pumpkins still produce too much methane, which the report said "warms the atmosphere to the same extent" as carbon dioxide but in a shorter amount of time.

"It's a big cause of climate change," CNN claimed

The environmental activist noted that if pumpkin owners don't have a place to decompose the vegetable, "the best way is to either put it under a bush in your yard ... and the squirrels, maybe a raccoon will eat it."

Climate change legislation as a means to implement regulations has been on the rise, as have awareness campaigns.

In August 2023, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced that she has banned "fossil fuels" in new city-owned buildings after teaming up with the city's director of the Green New Deal.

The following month, the mayor declared a "heat emergency" at 86 degrees and noted that "the impacts of climate change are more palpable than ever, with extreme heat posing risk to our communities."

This appeared to be used as a workaround to allow some of Boston's students to go home from school, as the city had not installed air conditioning in at least 14 schools. The schools were managing with only fans because the electrical systems cannot handle an air conditioning system, which had already resulted in school closures and early dismissals.

Vice President Kamala Harris has noted multiple times that the Biden administration has done exemplary work on climate change but has blamed a lack of voter awareness for poor approval ratings.

"If you poll how young people feel about the climate, and the warming of our planet, it polls as one of their top concerns. When we talk about what we are doing with student loan debt ... polls very high," Harris told MSNBC.

"The challenge that we have as an administration is we gotta let people know who brung it to 'em!" she said with laughter. "That's our challenge. It is not that the work we are doing is not very, very popular with a lot of people."

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