After a much-hyped debate with creationist Ken Ham last month over whether creation is a viable model of origins in the modern scientific era, scientist Bill Nye is once again taking on science naysayers; however, this time the debate is about climate change.
Nye appeared on CNN’s Crossfire on Tuesday evening, the day that the White House released the new report on climate change, to speak on what can be done to mitigate the negative affects of global warming.
Conservative Crossfire host S.E. Cupp came out of the gate immediately challenging the report and what Nye was there to speak about. “Even if what the White House is saying is all true,” Cupp said, “the scare tactics have not worked.”
Cupp then showed Nye a March Gallup Poll that read that only 36 percent of Americans think that global warming is a serious threat to our way of life, in which Nye continually asked her to look at the facts.
“How do you want to get public consensus on this?” Nye asked when Cupp stated that it was needed. “By saying that it’s not happening, that it’s not serious, that the shore lines aren’t flooding?”
Nye went on to speak of those who have already been affected by climate change, such as those in Oklahoma who have experienced several deadly tornadoes, and those living in Manhattan when Hurricane Sandy flooded the bottom half of the city.
The Obama Action Plan to reduce carbon pollution and prepare the U.S. for the impacts of climate change confirmed that it is not a distant threat, but is affecting us now. The report focused on temperatures continuing to rise across the U.S. and carbon dioxide levels rising.
“We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence,” President Obama said. “Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science — and act before it’s too late.”
Heritage Foundation’s Nicolas Loris argued that while climate is changing, there are questions as to whether the extreme weather trends are a part of that.
“More importantly,” Loris said, “is the policy prescription, these greenhouse gas regulations coming down, prohibiting building new coal fired power plants, it’s just going to less equipped, less economically prosperous to handle these problems.”
Nye came back saying that they simply didn’t “agree on the facts.”
“This third report came out, saying it’s very serious. Science, researchers say yes. You say no. There’s the essence of the problem,” Nye told Loris, after which Cupp pointed out that “science guys attempt to bully other people.”
To read the report and research the scientific facts yourself, visit the White House website and the detailed report on climate change.
Image via YouTube
