A CNN host accused 鈥淪cience Guy鈥� Bill Nye and other environmental advocates of being bullies for dismissing questions raised by skeptics of manmade climate change in a heated debate earlier this week.
The debate followed the Tuesday release of a landmark report called the National Climate Assessment from a panel of scientists overseen by the United States government. Manmade climate change is impacting all regions of the U.S., including diminishing water supplies, droughts, wildfires and rising temperatures, the concluded.
Temperatures in the U.S. could rise by 10 degrees or more by the end of the century if greenhouse gas and other emissions continue on pace, it said.
Nye was brought on Crossfire to discuss the report and other issues with Nicolas Loris, an expert on energy and environmental policy with the Heritage Foundation.
Things got off to a rocky start when Nye cut off host S.E. Cupp as she asked her first question. 鈥淓ven if what (co-host) Van (Jones) and the White House are saying is all true,鈥� Cupp began, 鈥渢he scare tactics have not worked. Check out鈥︹��.
Nye cut Cupp off, saying 鈥淏efore you go on.鈥� Cupp fixed Nye with a steely glare and said, 鈥淲ell no, let me finish my question.鈥�
鈥淟et鈥檚 talk about the facts,鈥� Nye interjected again. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e saying they鈥檙e not true.鈥�
Again, Cupp asked to finish her question, which she prefaced with Gallup polling data that showed that 36 per cent of Americans believe global warming will pose a serious threat to their way of life.
鈥淟et me pause,鈥� Cupp said. 鈥淓verything that VAN and the White House have said is true. However, the scare tactics have not worked, and don鈥檛 you need public consensus to move the needle on this?鈥�
Nye asked if the way to get public consensus on climate change is to say that 鈥渋t鈥檚 not happening, that it鈥檚 not serious鈥︹��.
After Nye talked about the economic impacts of a hurricane or tornado or drought, Loris interjected to say that 鈥測ou can look at these things, and you can look at the climate realities.鈥� He went on to say that 鈥淚鈥檓 not a denier, I鈥檓 not a skeptic,鈥� adding that the climate is changing and 鈥渕anmade emissions are some part to that.鈥�
Loris added long-range data does not support a trend in extreme weather events, and that environmental regulations will make the U.S. less equipped to deal with weather events in the future.
When Loris said some researchers dispute a change in frequency or intensity to hurricanes, Nye replied: 鈥淗urricane, schmurricane, if I may.鈥�
He also accused Loris of 鈥渃herry-picking data,鈥� and pounded the desk to ask 鈥渨hy did this report come out?鈥�
Cupp then asked if it isn鈥檛 鈥渁 problem when science guys attempt to bully other people?鈥�
鈥淏ully me!鈥� Nye interjected.
鈥淚 mean, Nick here had to say, 鈥業'm not a denier鈥欌�� Cupp went on. 鈥淗e had to get it up, 鈥業'm not a denier," because really, the science group has tried to shame anyone who dares question this, and the point I'm trying to make鈥︹��.
鈥淲hy is that bullying?鈥� Cupp鈥檚 co-host Jones asked.
The question went unanswered.
