Topic: Climate Denialism

Activists criticize the media for ignoring the role of climate change in coverage of Hurricane Matthew. One political candidate proposes a plan for a 100% clean electric grid by 2050, citing Iowa's wind energy as a model. The segment includes a claim that climate change denial should be treated as a "mental illness," referencing Senator James Inhofe's use of a snowball on the Senate floor as an example of irrational behavior.

Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore argues that the term "climate change denier" is a mean-spirited attempt to link skeptics to Holocaust deniers. Moore asserts that the climate is one of the most complex systems on Earth and that it is arrogant to suggest we can predict it 60 years into the future. He emphasizes that the science is not settled and that the debate over the causes of temperature fluctuations must continue.

The discussion focuses on the psychological impact of telling children they only have ten years to live due to climate catastrophe. The hosts argue that this messaging is being institutionalized in schools and colleges, leading to widespread affliction. Comparisons are made between questioning climate science and Holocaust denial in the current social discourse.

Proponents of the COP21 agreement challenged climate skeptics to publish their findings in scientific journals rather than using slogans. The debate centers on whether current climate science represents a consensus built over 200 years of literature.

New York State investigates Exxon over claims the company knew about climate change in 1977 but funded denial campaigns. The hosts argue the analogy to the tobacco industry is flawed and designed to extract billions in settlements.

John C. Dvorak presents a historical timeline of major hurricanes hitting New York City to counter claims that Superstorm Sandy was an unprecedented "new normal." He cites the 1821 hurricane, the 1938 "Long Island Express," and several mid-century storms that produced higher storm surges or more rainfall than Sandy. The data is used to argue against the narrative of human-accelerated climate change.

Bill Nye "The Science Guy" received $35,000 to deliver a commencement speech at Rutgers University, where he compared climate change denial to denying the link between smoking and cancer. He urged graduates to "get to work" and cited Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution regarding the promotion of science. The hosts mock Nye's "hip" persona and his aggressive stance against climate skeptics.

Adam Curry recalls attending a Kleiner Perkins CEO summit in Pebble Beach circa 2005 where Al Gore screened *An Inconvenient Truth* via satellite. The hosts discuss the recurring media narrative that "this year is the last chance" to act on climate change, noting similar panicky rhetoric from Senator Dianne Feinstein. They also mention a document circulating that provides strategies for attacking climate change "denialists" who credit solar activity for temperature shifts.

A study from the University of Western Australia titled "NASA Faked the Moon Landing—Therefore, Climate Science Is a Hoax" is examined. The paper links skepticism of man-made global warming to a "conspiracist ideation" and belief in other theories involving HIV/AIDS, the CIA, and the moon landing.