Somewhat surprisingly, "The Daily Show" host in his opening sketch tore apart the scientists involved in sending the obtained e-mail messages for showing "a clear effort to raise fears about global warming, and hide evidence against it."
Stewart even mocked the man responsible for spreading more fear on this subject than anyone on the planet:
Poor Al Gore. Global warming completely debunked via the very Internet you invented. OH. OH the irony.
Irony indeed (video embedded below the fold with transcript, vulgarity alert, h/t Story Balloon):
(BEGIN VIDEO)
UNKNOWN PERSON: A hacker in England got hold of emails between leading scientists which skeptics say show a clear effort to raise fears about global warming, and hide evidence against it.
(END VIDEO)
JON STEWART, HOST: Oh for f**k's sake! Poor Al Gore. Global warming completely debunked via the very Internet you invented. OH. OH the irony. The iro---ny. Actually, the real story isn't quite that sensational. Basically, emails stolen from scientists at one of the leading centers for global warming show them discussing the work, a bit, how do I put this, casually.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
UNKNOWN FOX ANNOUNCER READING EMAIL MESSAGE FROM CLIMATEGATE PARTICIPANTS): "The fact is we can't account for the lack of warming at the moment and it is a travesty that we can't." (Kevin Trenberth)
"I've just completed Mike's Nature trick of adding in the real temps to each series for the last 20 years (ie from 1981 onwards) and from 1961 for Keith's to hide the decline." (Phil Jones, CRU Director)
(END VIDEO)
STEWART: (Laughing) See, I tell you it's nothing. He was just using a trick to hide the decline. It's just scientist speak for using a standard statistical technique recalibrating data in order to trick you into not knowing about the decline. But here's what's great about science: in disagreement, we go back and look at the raw data.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
UNKNOWN FOX NEWS ANNOUNCER): University scientists say raw data from the 1980s was thrown out.
(END VIDEO)
STEWART: Oh for f**k's sake! Why would you throw out raw data from the '80s? I still have Penthouses from the '70s! Laminated. What did you keep?
(BEGIN VIDEO)
UNKNOWN FOX NEWS ANNOUNCER): The scientists say they kept something called "value added data".
(END VIDEO)
STEWART: Value added data? What is that, numbers fortified with art? Truth plus, now with lemon? It doesn't look good. Now does it disprove global warming? No, of course not. But it does put a fresh set of energizers in the Senate's resident denier bunny.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
SENATOR JOHN INHOFE, (R-OKLA.): The fact that this whole idea on the global warming. I'm glad that's over, gone, done. We won. You lost. Get a life.
(END VIDEO)
STEWART: Alright. We knew Inhofe was going to say that. That guy thinks global warming is debunked every time he drinks a Slushee and gets a brain freeze. "If global warming is real, why does my head hurt?" But by the way, that quote was from BEFORE he found out about the leaked email story. But that's the point. If you care about an issue, and want it to be your life's work, don't cut corners. It's disheartening for people inclined towards the scientific method, and it's catnip to these guys who are going to end up celebrating tonight drunk, roaming the Arctic Circle trying to skullf**k polar bears, which are quickly disappearing because of rising oceans caused now apparently by God's tears!
Pretty amazing.
To be sure, it's just a comedy show. However, for several years various polls have indicated that many young people in America get their "news" from this program.
As polls have also shown belief in the global warming myth seems to decrease as you go up in age bracket, young folks hearing Stewart's view on this matter could easily be swayed by it.
But even more important than that, "The Daily Show" addressing this subject is a clear indication that ClimateGate is not going away any time soon.
All we need now is for "Saturday Night Live" to start mocking Al Gore along with this entire pathetic scam, and we can say goodbye to cap and trade.
Keep your fingers crossed.
Bravo, Jon. Bravo.
