Neil De Grasse Tyson Destroys Climate Deniers (Upcoming Episode)

Started by stromboli, May 29, 2014, 09:37:19 AM

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stromboli

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/05/cosmos-tyson-sagan-climate-change-episode

QuoteFor 11 episodes now, the groundbreaking Fox and National Geographic Channel series Cosmos has been exploring the universe, outraging creationists, and giving science teachers across the nation something to show in class every Monday. In the process, the show has been drawing more than 3 million viewers every Sunday night, a respectable number for a science-focused show that is, after all, a major departure from what primetime audiences are used to.

Cosmos certainly hasn't shied from controversy; it has taken on evolution and industry-funded science denial, and it has been devoting an increasing amount of attention to the subject of climate change. And apparently that was just the beginning. This coming Sunday, Cosmos will devote an entire episode to the topic. Here's the episode description from National Geographic:

Our journey begins with a trip to another world and time, an idyllic beach during the last perfect day on the planet Venus, right before a runaway greenhouse effect wreaks havoc on the planet, boiling the oceans and turning the skies a sickening yellow. We then trace the surprisingly lengthy history of our awareness of global warming and alternative energy sources, taking the Ship of the Imagination to intervene at some critical points in time.

Courtesy of National Geographic, above is a clip from the new episode, which should have climate deniers fulminating. In it, host Neil deGrasse Tyson uses the analogy of walking a dog on the beach to helpfully explain the difference between climate and weather (pay attention, Donald Trump) and to outline why, no matter how cold you were in January, that's no argument against global warming.

We've seen the rest of the episode already, and won't spill the beans. But suffice it to say that it contains some powerful refutations of a number of other global warming denier talking points, as well as some ingenious sequences that explain the planetary-scale significance of climate change. It also contains some in situ reporting on the impacts of climate change, straight from the imperiled Arctic.

Back in November, I observed that if Carl Sagan, the creator and host of the original Cosmos series, were alive today, he would have been a leader in the charge to address global warming. After all, Sagan, who made his scientific mark studying the greenhouse effect of Venus, was deeply concerned about the mega-forces that determine planetary fates.

In covering climate change so extensively then, the new Cosmos is living up to the legacy of its original creator.

Note: For those who miss it on Sunday, Cosmos also airs Monday, June 2nd at 9 pm on National Geographic Channel with additional footage.

I love this guy. He is not afraid to speak out against the idiocy of climate deniers and does so in a format where enough people  hear it to make a difference. They have to respond, and what he is doing is done at a crucial time. We need this now.

Gawdzilla Sama

We 'new atheists' have a reputation for being militant, but make no mistake  we didn't start this war. If you want to place blame put it on the the religious zealots who have been poisoning the minds of the  young for a long long time."
PZ Myers

stromboli

Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on June 06, 2014, 02:32:57 PM
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/05/1304715/-Racist-Fox-News-guest-attacks-Neil-deGrasse-Tyson-because-he-fit-the-profile?detail=email

I don't drool on Tyson but I have great respect for him. I read his bio. He is a very accomplished man, and overall has sidestepped the race issue more often than not. That Fox chooses to use people who are obvious white supremacist types to criticize him is only a black eye for them.

GalacticBusDriver

"We should admire Prometheus, not Zues...Job, not Jehovah. Becoming a god, or godlike being, is selling out to the enemy. From the Greeks to the Norse to the Garden of Eden, gods are capricious assholes with impulse control problems. Joining their ranks would be a step down."

From "Radiant" by James Alan Gardner

SGOS

Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on June 06, 2014, 02:32:57 PM
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/05/1304715/-Racist-Fox-News-guest-attacks-Neil-deGrasse-Tyson-because-he-fit-the-profile?detail=email
The video in that article was just spew:  "I hate Tyson, I hate Tyson!"  Perhaps there was something cut out of the video which would make it relevant to an argument, but as it stands, it was just ad hominem.  But a good ad hominem requires some sort of unrelated argument that can be confused with the personal attack.  Otherwise, it's just a personal attack.  It's like the round table ran out of things to say, and there was still 5 minutes to kill until the next commercial.  So it ends up disapproving of an afro haircut he had 40 years ago.  NOT my idea of great news.

stromboli

Tyson is above reproach in most respects. He has never been involved in anything that isn't either scholarly or proactive from science to competitive dancing. He has won awards for his dancing skills. He is also married and has children. They had to reach back 40 years to find anything to complain about. Another fine example of the bottom dwellers at Fox.