On Friday's Real Time show, liberal comedian Bill Maher and his panel of mostly liberals promoted global warming alarmism with Commentary magazine's Noah Rothman as the only guest who argued against climate hysteria from a right-leaning point of view.
Maher declared that climate change "deniers" who have children are "lousy parents" for not wanting to adopt left-wing proposals to react to climate change, and at one point, while complaining about Republicans "getting away with murder," was clearly also hinting at "murder" literally as he emphasized the word.
After bringing aboard former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy as the fifth panel member, the HBO host soon brought up doom and gloom predictions by liberal environmentalists from the recent past:
Give it to me straight, Doc. Is it too late? Because I know they wouldn't tell us if it was because I've read quotes from, like, James Hanson. He said in 2006, "We have to in the next 10 years decrease the growth rate of CO2. If that doesn't happen in 10 years, we're going to pass these tipping points."
Al Gore, Inconvenient Truth, "The world will reach the point of no return" if drastic measures weren't taken to reduce greenhouse gases by 2016. I see we've passed 415 parts per million of carbon dioxide. I remember when they said you can't pass 400.
He then posed: "So what say you?"
After McCarty argued that there is still cause for optimism, and recounted the recent marches by young demonstrators, Maher then moved to highlight and praise climate alarmist Greta Thunberg: "The best one was Greta Thunberg at the U.N. Climate -- you know about this young lady from Sweden. She's a teenager -- she sailed across the ocean. Show it -- I mean, this has already, I think, become iconic. I want to show it tonight."
After a clip of Thunberg at the U.N. conference giving one of her emotional rants about the future, Maher then followed up:
That's pretty powerful. And, you know, this is because this week kids all over the world went on a climate strike. Apparently they're pissed off and robbed them of their entire future and killed the planet. It reminds me a little of the Vietnam protests when I was young because they have skin in the game. Unlike other generations, they really feel it and they see it, and they know, "Christ, what is the world going to be like when I'm 40?"
He soon brought up his charge that global warming skeptics make "poor parents" as he recalled a recent episode of ABC's The View:
I saw on The View -- because I never miss it -- Joy (Behar) said something that I've said many times, which is that I think -- I'm sorry, people don't like to hear it -- but if you are not doing anything for the environment or if you are denying climate science, and you have kids, you're kind of a lousy parent, and Abby Huntsman took great umbrage at that.
He then added: "I don't see what's wrong with playing the bad parent card. How can you not say that you're a bad parent if you have a kid and you're not doing something for this problem?"
Rothman then argued that developed countries, using capitalism, have helped the environment while less developed countries have harmed it.
A bit later, as former Democratic Congressman Barney Frank advised against liberal environmentalists making short-term predictions that may turn out not to happen because it undermines their credibility, Maher jumped in to suggest dire conditions may be just a few years away. Here's Maher: "See, I disagree with that. I think that's an old talking point, I don't think it's 20, 30 years away. It could be two -- it's now, and it could be two years."
Later In the segment, the HBO host referred to a recent article by Rothman complaining about children being "indoctrinated" by liberals on environmental issues, leading Maher to bring up the word "murder" as he reacted:
That seems to be the new talking point, and Republicans have had many talking points over the years for getting away with, I think, murder on this issue. What does that mean? 'Indoctrination.' This is the idea that the kids don't really have the science -- they're just being misled by teachers and professors?.
Maher brought up Thunberg again near the end of the show as he began the "New Rules" segment:
All right, New Rule: We've had a good run, but it's time to admit this whole "USA, we're number one" thing might be over. Look at this kid: She sailed across the Atlantic and faced down the U.N. The only time an American teenager makes that face is when her mom takes away her phone.
The relevant transcript is below:
HBO's Real Time
September 27, 2019
BILL MAHER: Give it to me straight, Doc. Is it too late? Because I know they wouldn't tell us if it was because I've read quotes from, like, James Hanson. He said in 2006, "We have to in the next 10 years decrease the growth rate of CO2. If that doesn't happen in 10 years, we're going to pass these tipping points.
Al Gore, Inconvenient Truth, "The world will reach the point of no return" if drastic measures weren't taken to reduce greenhouse gases by 2016. I see we've passed 415 parts per million of carbon dioxide. I remember when they said you can't pass 400. So what say you?
(….)
The best one was Greta Thunberg at the U.N. Climate -- you know about this young lady from Sweden. She's a teenager -- she sailed across the ocean. Show it -- I mean, this has already, I think, become iconic. I want to show it tonight. … That's pretty powerful. And, you know, this is because this week kids all over the world went on a climate strike. Apparently they're pissed off and robbed them of their entire future and killed the planet. It reminds me a little of the Vietnam protests when I was young because they have skin in the game. Unlike other generations, they really feel it and they see it, and they know, "Christ, what is the world going to be like when I'm 40?"
(…)
I saw on The View -- because I never miss it -- Joy (Behar) said something that I've said many times, which is that I think -- I'm sorry, people don't like to hear it -- but if you are not doing anything for the environment or if you are denying climate science, and you have kids, you're kind of a lousy parent, and Abby Huntsman took great umbrage at that. I don't see what's wrong with playing the bad parent card. How can you not say that you're a bad parent if you have a kid and you're not doing something for this problem?
(…)
FORMER CONGRESSMAN BARNEY FRANK (D-MA): I would speak to students and say, "Look, I don't understand why you're not upset about climate change. I'm going to be dead by then, but it's going to have a terrible effect on your life 20, 30 years from now."
MAHER: See, I disagree with that. I think that's an old talking point, I don't think it's 20, 30 years away. It could be two -- it's now, and it could be two years.
(.…)
That seems to be the new talking point, and Republicans have had many talking points over the years for getting away with, I think, murder on this issue. What does that mean? 'Indoctrination.' This is the idea that the kids don't really have the science -- they're just being misled by teachers and professors?.
