Over the weekend, CNN provided segments to environmental activists Michael Mann and Bill Nye, allowing them to promote their liberal agenda against the use of fossil fuels.
On Saturday afternoon, fill-in host Alex Marquardt (currently embroiled in a defamation suit), interviewed Mann and set the stage for the University of Pennsylvania climate researcher to declare: "There is a profound impact that human-caused warming from burning fossil fuels and the production of carbon pollution. There is a major impact that is happening in terms of the damage and deadliness of these storms."
After Marquardt followed up by asking if there is evidence of "steady growth" in storm frequency, Mann ignored long-standing evidence that hurricane activity changes cyclically as he further warned:
...when you look at the strongest storms -- the sort of cat 4, cat 5 monster storms, we see a steady increase. And steady is bad enough. As I like to say, the truth is bad enough. It's not exponential, but it's steady, which means that every additional degree that we warm the planet leads to a steady increase, you know, in the intensity of these storms -- the damage that's done.
Here's the good news. The warming stops when we bring our carbon emission to zero. So if we can rapidly decarbonize our infrastructure -- get away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy, we can stop the warming of the planet, the warming of the oceans that is driving these ever dangerous and ever damaging storms.
After Marquardt asked about recent reports of meteorologists being threatened, Mann complained about Republicans harassing him for decades over his research.
On Sunday afternoon, Nye appeared with fill-in host Omar Jimenez (of "Fiery But Mostly Peaceful" fame), and after he argued that global warming is worsening hurricanes, he claimed that Republicans are "essentially being bribed" by the fossil fuel industry:
Now, this is well-documented -- this is science. But I'll just say again, and you brought it up. The reason I did these videos for Too Hot Not to Vote is because one side is very concerned about climate change, and the other side is not, and is essentially taking bribes from the fossil fuel industry.
Jimenez then helpfully cued up Nye to argue that the next election is the most important ever for the climate: "And I think, along those lines, you said this is the most important election in human history within the context of climate change. Why do you believe climate plays such a big role in this election?"
After arguing that the climate effects everything humans do, Nye then specified the military as being concerned about how global warming will effect sea levels:
The U.S. military is very, very concerned about climate change. They have bases in -- on near-shore facilities -- Norfolk, Virginia; Florida; San Diego. These are places where the Navy depends on the sea level staying about where it is. But it's not staying where it is. The world's getting warmer -- the ocean's expanding -- ice is sliding off of Antarctica and Greenland into the sea, making it also rise. So the sooner we get to work on this, the better, everybody.
Transcripts follow:
CNN Newsroom
October 13, 2024
1:22 p.m. Eastern
PROFESSOR MICHAEL MANN, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: There is a profound impact that human-caused warming from burning fossil fuels and the production of carbon pollution. There is a major impact that is happening in terms of the damage and deadliness of these storms.
ALEX MARQUARDT, FILL-IN HOST: Professor, when you look at the pace, the frequency of these storms, is there enough data from recent years to say whether there's sort of steady growth fueled by climate change of the number of these storms? Or is it more exponential? How much are these storms being fueled by climate change growing in terms of frequency?
MANN: Yeah, I mean, again, when you look at the strongest storms -- the sort of cat 4, cat 5 monster storms, we see a steady increase. And steady is bad enough. As I like to say, the truth is bad enough. It's not exponential, but it's steady, which means that every additional degree that we warm the planet leads to a steady increase, you know, in the intensity of these storms -- the damage that's done. Here's the good news. The warming stops when we bring our carbon emission to zero. So if we can rapidly decarbonize our infrastructure -- get away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy, we can stop the warming of the planet, the warming of the oceans that is driving these ever dangerous and ever damaging storms.
MARQUARDT: And we know what a tall task that is. In the meantime, one of the more disturbing reactions to what we've been seeing are these reports of meteorologists getting death threats as they batten down and try to push back against these conspiracy theories. What's your reaction to that?
MANN: Yeah, it's really disturbing. It's part of a trend. You know, as a climate scientist, decades ago, I was attacked, my colleagues were attacked when we presented evidence that was a threat to powerful vested interests -- the fossil fuel industry, the politicians, mostly one of the two parties, really the Republican party that has supported their agenda. I was attacked by them decades ago because of my establishing the significance of human-caused warming. And today we have seen a metastasization of that bad faith extend to all matters of public discourse. And even, you know, weather presenters are being threatened, and emergency managers - FEMA employees are being threatened simply because the facts they are presenting might be inconvenient. Again, to some of those powerful vested interests, one of the two parties, the Republican party has taken, you know, almost as gospel, that climate change is a hoax, and they have attacked scientists who are talking about the threat of climate change...
(...)
CNN Newsroom
October 13, 2024
4:45 p.m. Eastern
OMAR JIMENEZ, FILL-IN HOST: But are you surprised that weather experts are actually being targeted here?
BILL NYE, EDUCATOR: Not anymore because we all have a tendency to just, first thing you do is try to shoot the messenger, as the old saying goes. That somebody bringing you bad news is somehow responsible for the bad news. There's just a human tendency that we all want to overcome. And by "we all," I mean all of us, well, world citizens have to work together to address climate change. Now, look, everybody, the reason these hurricanes are happening is because the Gulf of Mexico and the mid-Atlantic is warmer than it's -- they're warmer than they've ever been. And not only that, the warmth goes deep in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, and so you're not getting relief that you traditionally get when a hurricane would dissipate. Instead, they're strengthening.
Now, this is well-documented -- this is science. But I'll just say again, and you brought it up. The reason I did these videos for Too Hot Not to Vote is because one side is very concerned about climate change, and the other side is not, and is essentially taking bribes from the fossil fuel industry. And we've just got to cut it out, you guys. We're all in this together, Omar.
JIMENEZ: And I think, along those lines, you said this is the most important election in human history within the context of climate change. Why do you believe climate plays such a big role in this election?
NYE: Well, it effects everything we do. You know, where do we spend money? We spend it on social security programs -- as Peter Bergen put it. They're not called social "welfare" -- it's "security." Security for our citizens. We spend money on that, and we spend money on the military. The U.S. military is very, very concerned about climate change. They have bases in -- on near-shore facilities -- Norfolk, Virginia; Florida; San Diego. These are places where the Navy depends on the sea level staying about where it is. But it's not staying where it is. The world's getting warmer -- the ocean's expanding -- ice is sliding off of Antarctica and Greenland into the sea, making it also rise. So the sooner we get to work on this, the better, everybody. It'll be exciting. We're going to solve global problems working together. Come on!
