On Monday morning, CNN anchors bemoaned the Trump administration's decision to reject the findings of an international report on global warming, as the news network also devoted time to blaming manmade global warming for recent drought and wildfires in California.
At 10:27 a.m. Eastern, as the segment began with the words "Global Warming" on screen with the word "Warming" flashing in red, CNN Newsroom host Jim Sciutto declared:
The Trump administration is refusing to endorse an international report on the dangers of climate change, joining the likes of Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The administration's decision comes just weeks after critics say the White House tried to bury an alarming climate change report released on Black Friday.
He then brought aboard correspondent Bill Weir, who was appearing live from wildfire-ravaged Paradise, California. Sciutto added: "A lot of the coverage of this fire noted that climate change, it appears, based on the science, had an effect here, pushing back when the rains come, lengthening the dry season." Weir then reacted:
The National Climate Assessment even says that, since the mid-80s, half the western wildfires that have burned are the result of manmade global warming -- hotter atmosphere. That means more intense droughts, more violent rain storms, less frequent and dependable snow packs. And then what you have after this unbelievable devastating fire, the campfire, looks like this.
He soon added: "You've got first responders and scientists saying it's time to connect the dots between predictions that are coming true and the devastation we're seeing here, getting ready for a hotter, more flammable future."
Then came a pre-recorded piece -- which also aired earlier on New Day -- in which Weir stated that it was the "deadliest American wildfire in more than 100 years."
A bit later, he added:
But those who study fire, water, wind and climate say Paradise should be a warning. In fact, on Black Friday, while this fire was still burning, the Trump administration put out the most frightening climate forecast in American history. Over 300 scientists from NASA, NOAA, the Pentagon, the Smithsonian, all agreeing that, unless things change, this is just the beginning.
After a clip of the devastation in California was shown, Weir then showed a clip of President Donald Trump being dismissive of the report's findings.
Then came a clip of Faith Kearns of the University of California Water Institute reacting: "Climate change doesn't really care if you believe in it or not, right? It's reality. We have gravity -- we have climate change."
After getting to Professor Don Hankins of California State University Chico, Weir finally conceded that some of the reason for record wildfire devastation is because people have increasingly moved into areas that are prone to wildfires.
Weir then appeared live again, and host Scuitto noted that countries like Russia and Saudi Arabia have economies that depend on oil exports. He then likened the matter to tobacco companies being unwilling to admit their products were harmful. Sciutto: "You deny the science because it's in your interest."
Weir agreed: "I think it was -- was it Upton Sinclair who said, 'It's really hard to convince a man of something when his entire income depends on him not understanding it'?"
He then worried that "precious time is being lost to mitigate possible disasters" because the Earth will supposedly continue to warm for decades even after carbon emissions are cut.
He added that "It's not a matter of if it's going to happen -- it's just a matter of, Jim, how bad it's going to get," leading Sciutto to comment that "you're standing there in the midst of some of the consequences."
