Between hosting “Bill Nye the Science Guy” and serving as CEO of The Planetary Society, Bill Nye's career as a science educator means he is also, inherently, an activist when it comes to combating climate change.
Nye joined Jeremy Binckes on “Salon Talks” to discuss his efforts raising awareness around climate change over the years, and to scoop a new documentary film that chronicles his rise from lively children's show host to national science defender and advocate.
"I am a failure!" Nye exclaimed when reflecting back on the shows he created over two decades ago about the Earth's warming.
Nye blamed the fossil fuel industry for creating the schism between climate deniers and believers, saying “they have worked so hard to introduce doubt.” He went on to say that he believed climate change was discovered in the 1970s, “and we’ve done virtually nothing about it all this time.”
This is partially because climate change has become a highly politicized and polarizing topic in America: Republicans tend to deny the issue even exists, while Democrats generally see it as a legitimate concern. Yet like most science, it is not something that you "believe" in, but rather, a tested observation based on overwhelming empirical evidence.
In 2012, Donald Trump tweeted this:
The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2012
And Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, has repeatedly denied climate change, claiming that “human activity” is not “a primary contributor to the global warming that we see,” according to CNBC.
Nye implored the public to take a stand against climate deniers.
“What I tell everybody is vote," Nye told Salon. "We don’t want everybody to be a scientist; that would be unwieldy. We need accountants and artists, filmmakers, journalists — but we want everybody to appreciate science,” and appreciate “the value of science to your everyday life, to the economy of whatever country you live in and to the future of humankind as we face the biggest challenge so far," he continued.
Visit billnyefilm.com to learn about where you can see the new documentary "Bill Nye: Science Guy."
Watch the full "Salon Talks" conversation with Nye on Facebook to hear him discuss why he thinks his lessons on climate change failed to convince the public.
Tune into Salon's live shows, "Salon Talks" and "Salon Stage," daily at noon ET / 9 a.m. PT and 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT, streaming live on Salon and on Facebook.
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