On December 30, NBC Meet the Press host Chuck Todd introduced a "climate change" special by proclaiming "We're not going to debate climate change, the existence of it. The Earth is getting hotter, and human activity is a major cause. Period. We're not going to give time to climate deniers."
On Tuesday, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) launched a new campaign, taking issue with NBC’s Meet the Press for "silencing dissent." CEI’s campaign is centered around a full-page ad appearing in this morning’s Wall Street Journal and Washington Post and a 30-second video spot, which CEI attempted to run during Meet the Press last Sunday, January 20.
As should be expected, NBC rejected the critical ad, which can be seen along with the full page print ad, at cei.org/NBCclimatedebate. The ads push back on Todd and NBC’s decision to ban guests who disagree with alarmists and calls for a real and open debate about the impacts of harsh left-wing environmental policies.
That is not how science or scientists work. In the words of Charles Krauthammer, “There is nothing more anti-scientific than the very idea that science is settled, static, impervious to challenge.”
Contrary to Chuck Todd and the alarmists, there is a real debate among scientists, if not television journalists, about the extent of warming and its effects. Although the computer models predict rapid warming, the actual temperature data show only a modest rate of warming.
Real-world data demonstrate that the policies supported by climate alarmists are unwarranted. Huge tax hikes and energy rationing will cripple our economy, especially hurting those who can least afford it. [Emphasis in the original.]
Even people who agree that climate change is a serious problem should acknowledge there's a debate about how to mitigate it. CEI noted the Meet the Press website lamely touts that it is ‘[a]cclaimed by conservatives and liberals."
"It is very disappointing they choose to deny their audience a full range of views. Barring climate policy realists, whose positions are based in real-world scientific data, limits discussion to preapproved outcomes and forecloses innovative policy solutions,” said CEI President Kent Lassman.
“NBC has made it perfectly clear they have no interest in hosting an open debate on climate change or policy alternatives for the environment, as evidenced by their decision to reject both guests on-air and paid ads during the program to give expert views shared by millions of Americans.”
Todd did not respond to a NewsBusters request for comment.
