As is usually the case with CNN, hosts are reduced to no more than puppets in Jeffrey Zucker’s play, willfully reading from nearly identical scripts as they peddle their daily doses of venom for not only President Trump, but anyone who stands in the way of their far-left, anti-gun, pro-abortion, and pro-Green New Deal vision (to name a few policies).
So for seven hours on Wednesday, CNN’s primetime hosts (Wolf Blitzer, Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper, Chris Cuomo, and Don Lemon) began each of the ten 2020 Democratic presidential “climate crisis” town halls by asserting that Hurricane Dorian existed because of climate change. They were assisted with periodical Dorian updates from CNN’s Jennifer Gray.
Blitzer kicked things off before town halls with Julian Castro and Andrew Yang by alluding to Dorian providing “firsthand...effects of climate change” and an example of “extreme weather events” birthed by climate change. For more on Blitzer, check out the NewsBusters post here.
Erin Burnett arrived next to interview Senator Kamala Harris. Before bringing out the California Democrat and soon after, Burnett twice warned about Dorian stemming from the planet warming (click “expand”):
Voters here tonight are asking the top ten Democratic presidential candidates about the climate crisis. Scientists tell us we have only 11 years, so that's until 2030, to cut global pollution by half if we want to avoid the very worst consequences of the climate emergency. Think bigger fires in the west or deadlier heat waves, super charged storms like the one we're seeing now, Hurricane Dorian which is hovering off the coast of Carolinas as we speak.
(....)
You mentioned those powerful interests and there's a question about that. Of course, when you look at the severe weather, certainly we're seeing it with the hurricane now, Senator. In your state, you are being hit by a lot of severe weather that many scientists attribute to climate change including the deadliest state fire in history, which of course, happened in Paradise.
Burnett’s other candidate was Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN), but before that, Burnett hyped that the town halls were airing “on the heels of the deadly Hurricane Dorian, which is leaving neighborhoods underwater in the Bahamas, utter devastation.”
After a forecast from Gray, Burnett added that Dorian “is just...one sign of that dangerous world that scientists say we are entering if humans do not cut carbon pollution and cut it quickly.”
The robotics show continued with AC360's Anderson Cooper, who warned of “[f]looded coastal cities and island nations underwater” if America didn’t enact massive proposals (read: the Green New Deal). He asserted before bloodied eyed Joe Biden’s block, Cooper warned that Dorian was “the strongest storm anywhere on the planet this year has decimated parts of the Bahamas and is threatening the east coast.”
And before Bernie Sanders’s 40 minutes, Cooper reiterated that the conversation occurred “just as Hurricane Dorian is threatening the east coast after devastating the Bahamas.”
Next came Chris “Fredo” Cuomo, who stuck to script (click “expand”):
They're unveiling their plans to fight climate change and as an audience, we will be testing their ideas. Now, right now, Hurricane Dorian is hovering off of the east coast of the United States. We're seeing storms that are intensifying and that's just one sign of the dangerous world that scientists tell us we're entering if humans don't cut carbon pollution in half in the next 11 years and then to net-zero by 2050.
(....)
[O]f course, the idea of bigger and bigger hurricanes, more and more frequently, that's one of the things that scientists are worried about and point to as an indication of imminent climate change.
But before South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Cuomo upped the hysteria (click “expand”):
Now, I want to show you something that just gives you the status of the crisis. Look behind me. On one side, this is picture of an actual wild fire burning right now. This is just outside Los Angeles. La Cresta, California, okay? So, that’s one type of situation that we're seeing more and more of that scientists say is indicative of climate change. Now, on the east coast as you all know, we're dealing with Hurricane Dorian and again, scientists tell us consistently that we are seeing more intense storms, more frequently that are more complicated by the effects of climate change. These are both happening right now on our watch. The question is, what will be done about it? Scientists are telling us we're seeing the consequences of the climate crisis, okay? They also say that we could cross a massive tipping point. If what? If the world warms more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. It's just about three degrees. Now, we’ve already warmed up the planet one degree Celsius since the industrial revolution. So, we're more half way there. Young people are worried about a livable future for the planet. It's not some abstract idea for them.
CNN Tonight host Don Lemon closed out with f-bomb fan Beto O’Rourke and Senator Cory Booker (NJ). Prior to bringing out O’Rourke, Lemon lectured viewers about the temperature increases (like his colleagues did) causing lasting damage such as “Hurricane Dorian and its potentially life-threatening storm surge.”
“You know, scientists have partly blamed human-induced climate change for the intensity of these storms that are hitting our coastal states,” he stated.
Thankfully, Lemon ended the Dorian references at the start of Booker’s town hall:
You know, scientists say that humans only have 11 more years to avoid the catastrophic consequences of this crisis. Food shortages, rising sea levels, more extreme weather events like Hurricane Dorian, which is churning toward the Carolinas as we speak.
To see the relevant transcripts from the CNN town halls on September 4, click “expand.”
CNN’s Julian Castro: Climate Town Hall
September 4, 2019
5:00 p.m. Eastern
WOLF BLITZER: Good evening and welcome to the CNN Democratic presidential town hall. On the climate crisis. I want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I’m Wolf Bltizer. Tonight, the top ten Democratic presidential candidates will be here on this stage in New York City appearing one by one for the next seven hours. This unprecedented town hall is dedicated to the climate crisis. An issue many voters say it needs to happen now and scientists say that action needs to happen now. We're seeing firsthand the effects of climate change as a powerful Atlantic hurricane is sitting right now off the coast of Florida. It could make landfall tomorrow in South Carolina.
(....)
CNN’s Andrew Yang: Climate Town Hall
5:41 p.m. EasternBLITZER: Welcome back to this unprecedented night on CNN. Ten Democratic presidential candidates, one urgent issue, the climate crisis. Scientists tell us we are seeing the consequences of the climate crisis now, but we’ll cross a massive tipping point if the world warms more than 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. We've already warmed up the planet one degree Celsius since the industrial revolution, so we're more than halfway there. We have 11 years to avoid the catastrophic consequences of this crisis, food shortages, rising sea levels, more extreme weather events like Hurricane Dorian that's churning toward the Carolinas right now and for the latest on Dorian, I want to go to the CNN hurricane center and bring in Jennifer Gray. Jennifer?
JENNIFER GRAY: Wolf, Dorian has actually strengthened just a little bit with this latest advisory at 5:00. Now 110 mile per hour winds, just shy of a category three actually with the center just offshore. You can see Jacksonville to its west, gusts of 130 moving to the north/northwest at about eight miles per hour. That’s a little bit slower than it was before. It's expected to continue this forward speed, though. It’s expected to impact mainly South Carolina and North Carolina as we go forward in time. Charleston, for example, your conditions will continue to deteriorate as we go throughout the evening. Peak winds expected by late morning tomorrow and then this storm moves on, skirting the Outer Banks and North Carolina, Wolf.
BLITZER: Alright, Jennifer, thank you very much.
(....)
CNN’s Kamala Harris: Climate Town Hall
6:21 p.m. Eastern
ERIN BURNETT: Good evening and welcome back to this night of CNN presidential town halls. We are live from New York and I'm Erin Burnett. Voters here tonight are asking the top ten Democratic presidential candidates about the climate crisis. Scientists tell us we have only 11 years, so that's until 2030, to cut global pollution by half if we want to avoid the very worst consequences of the climate emergency. Think bigger fires in the west or deadlier heat waves, super charged storms like the one we're seeing now, Hurricane Dorian which is hovering off the coast of Carolinas as we speak.
(....)
6:28 p.m. Eastern
BURNETT: You mentioned those powerful interests and there's a question about that. Of course, when you look at the severe weather, certainly we're seeing it with the hurricane now, Senator. In your state, you are being hit by a lot of severe weather that many scientists attribute to climate change including the deadliest state fire in history, which of course, happened in Paradise.
(....)
CNN’s Amy Klobuchar: Climate Town Hall
7:01 p.m. EasternBURNETT: And welcome back to CNN’s climate town hall. I’m Erin Burnett. The top Democratic presidential candidates are all with us tonight on the heels of the deadly Hurricane Dorian, which is leaving neighborhoods under water in the Bahamas, utter devastation. It now heads north along the United States coast. For the latest on Dorian, let's now go to the CNN weather center or our meteorologist Jennifer Gray. Jennifer.
JENNIFER GRAY: Hi, Erin, that's right. This storm actually strengthened a bit in the 5:00 advisory, now just shy of the category three. Still a category 2. 110-mile-per-hour winds. Gusts of 130. It has been paralleling the Florida coast the last couple much days moving north, northwest at 8-mile-per-hour. It’s currently about 150 miles south of Charleston and that's one of the main areas we will watch the next day or so as conditions continue to deteriorate there, all along the Georgia coast, South Carolina coast, Charleston could see a big push of water as we go through the day tomorrow with that storm surge and then as it races up the North Carolina coast, possible landfall somewhere in the Carolinas. We'll keep you posted.
BURNETT: Alright thank you very much, Jennifer and you know, the storm comes as we are facing a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions. You know, Hurricane Dorian is just one, right? One thing right? One sign of that dangerous world that scientists say we are entering if humans do not cut carbon pollution and cut it quickly, in half they say over the next 11 years to net zero by 2050.
(....)
CNN’s Joe Biden: Climate Town Hall
8:00 p.m. Eastern
ANDERSON COOPER: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Anderson Cooper. Now, scientists tell us, if our planet warms more than 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 1.5 degrees Celsius, we are facing massive and dangerous tipping points. Flooded coastal cities and island nations underwater and the destruction of coral reefs. So, tonight, CNN is dedicating an entire night to the climate emergency and how the top ten Democratic presidential candidates plan to address this urgent threat. We're coming to you, of course, tonight just as Hurricane Dorian, the strongest storm anywhere on the planet this year has decimated parts of the Bahamas and is threatening the east coast.
(....)
CNN’s Bernie Sanders: Climate Town Hall
8:44 p.m. EasternCOOPER: And welcome back to CNN's climate crisis town hall. The U.S. government's research says unchecked climate change could kill thousands of Americans in this century. We're talking about superstorms and mass extinctions, worsening drought. We’re dedicating tonight to climate plans proposed by ten Democratic presidential candidates, just as Hurricane Dorian is threatening the east coast after devastating the Bahamas.
(....)
CNN’s Elizabeth Warren: Climate Town Hall
9:18 p.m. Eastern
CHRIS CUOMO: Welcome back to CNN's town hall on the climate crisis. I'm Chris Cuomo and we're here with the top ten candidates for president of the United States. They're unveiling their plans to fight climate change and as an audience, we will be testing their ideas. Now, right now, Hurricane Dorian is hovering off of the east coast of the United States. We're seeing storms that are intensifying and that's just one sign of the dangerous world that scientists tell us we're entering if humans don't cut carbon pollution in half in the next 11 years and then to net-zero by 2050. So, let's deal with the instant circumstance with Dorian, let's get the latest on the hurricane and go to CNN weather center with Jennifer Gray. Jennifer, what are we seeing now?
JENNIFER GRAY: Well, Chris, the latest with this storm, it's almost a category three, just barely hanging onto that category two status with winds of 110 miles per hour. 111 would be a category three with gusts of 130. Moving to the north at eight. Right now, it's about 130 miles south of Charleston. They will be feeling the tropical-storm-force winds tonight and conditions will continue to deteriorate as we go through tomorrow. Already, getting those rain bands from South Carolina all the way down through Georgia and even Florida still feeling it as well. Could be a category two, possibility fluctuating to a category three sometime overnight tonight into tomorrow. We’ll have to wait and see, but Charleston could get quite a bit of storm surge. That’s going to be one the main threats and as the storm races off to the north, North Carolina is in it just as much, Chris, with a lot of storm surge, wind and rain.
CUOMO: Right and you have areas that’s aren't used to taking storm surge. We'll be staying on the coverage. We’ll needing your help. Jennifer, thank you very much and of course, the idea of bigger and bigger hurricanes, more and more frequently, that's one of the things that scientists are worried about and point to as an indication of imminent climate change.
(....)
CNN’s Pete Buttigieg: Climate Town Hall
10:01 p.m. EasternCUOMO: All right. One night, ten top Democratic candidates answering question from Democratic and independent voters about one urgent issue. The climate crisis. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Chris Cuomo. Now, I want to show you something that just gives you the status of the crisis. Look behind me. On one side, this is picture of an actual wild fire burning right now. This is just outside Los Angeles. La Cresta, California, okay? So, that’s one type of situation that we're seeing more and more of that scientists say is indicative of climate change. Now, on the east coast as you all know, we're dealing with Hurricane Dorian and again, scientists tell us consistently that we are seeing more intense storms, more frequently that are more complicated by the effects of climate change. These are both happening right now on our watch. The question is, what will be done about it? Scientists are telling us we're seeing the consequences of the climate crisis, okay? They also say that we could cross a massive tipping point. If what? If the world warms more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. It's just about three degrees. Now, we’ve already warmed up the planet one degree Celsius since the industrial revolution. So, we're more half way there. Young people are worried about a livable future for the planet. It's not some abstract idea for them.
(....)
CNN’s Beto O’Rourke: Climate Town Hall
10:42 p.m. Eastern
DON LEMON: Welcome back everyone to this unprecedented night here on CNN. I'm Don Lemon. Thank you so much for joining us or staying with us. We’ve heard from eight candidates on this stage and we have two Democratic presidential candidates left, answering voters questions about the climate emergency. You know, scientists tell us we are seeing the consequences of the climate crisis now. That will be — we’ll cross a massive tipping point if the world warms more than 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. We’ve already warmed up by one degree since the industrial revolution. So, we're more than half way there already and right now, as you know, the Carolinas are bracing for Hurricane Dorian and its potentially life threatening storm surge. For the very latest now, let's go to the CNN weather center with CNN’s Jennifer Gray. Jennifer?
JENNIFER GRAY: I wouldn't be surprised if this storm reaches category three status once again. It's only one mile per hour shy of the that as far as the winds go with 110 miles per hour winds. It has been intensifying a little bit throughout the late afternoon and evening hours. Gusts of 130. It's about 120, 130 miles south of Charleston now and it is heading in a northerly direction. Now, South Carolina and North Carolina they will get the brunt of it, especially places like Charleston that can't handle a lot of water being pushed in. We could see near record flooding across there as far as tides go. You can see the center of the storm right there. The eye is expanding very, very wide. We're also going to get storm surge all up and down the Carolina coast, including North Carolina as this could make a potential land fall on South Carolina or North Carolina in the next day or so. Don?
LEMON: Jennifer Gray, thank you very much for that. You know, scientists have partly blamed human induced climate change for the intensity of these storms that are hitting our coastal states.
(....)
CNN’s Cory Booker: Climate Town Hall
11:22 p.m. EasternLEMON: And welcome back everyone to a CNN climate crisis town hall. We've heard from nine top presidential candidates so far. We have one final candidate left. You know, scientists say that humans only have 11 more years to avoid the catastrophic consequences of this crisis. Food shortages, rising sea levels, more extreme weather events like Hurricane Dorian, which is churning toward the Carolinas as we speak.
