With Bernie and Bill’s Powers Combined, they are Captaaaaaain Planet!
With over 65k viewers live, and currently 4.2 million views of the recorded conversation, two heroes of the millennial generation, Bernie Sanders, and Bill Nye the Science Guy, teamed up for a sit down about climate change. Sanders, a well-known proponent for environmental issues, was at his most enthusiastically bristling and grumpy, as he spoke of climate change in terms of politics, and how destroying the environment is in the best interest of big business. On Nye’s end, he answered science questions posed by Sanders — specifically questions that are usually used to discredit the threat of global warming. Bill Nye looked like a man perpetually about to face-palm, as he expertly debunked the bunk.
The reason for this discussion? With Trump’s piecemeal dismantling of the EPA, and going so far as to change information in their favor, some view the act as a message to the administration. The new Head of the EPA, Scott Pruitt, is a well-known bosom buddy of the fossil fuel industry, and a climate change denier. On his own website, he touts his role in the building of oil pipelines, siding with big banks, and life insurers. A real man of the people, to be sure — the rich ones, anyway. It’s well known that Trump gets his information from Fox News, as opposed to the actual Intelligence Agency at his disposal, so it’s doubtful the administration will ever take any real notice, let alone heed their message.
But why would they? Fixing the environment is not within their party donor’s best interests, and they’ve made it quite clear that not only is climate change not a concern, it’s on the same level as Santa Clause; just something imaginary the kids get all riled up about. After all, they’ve talked to scientists in the fossil fuel industry, and they say there’s nothing to worry about, that we in fact, should be trying to pump MORE oil, in lieu of alternatives like wind power, because we could run out of wind.
Sanders is a man of the people; a politician that uses his status to rile up his devoted base, and motivate them to get their hands dirty — just hopefully not in a wasteland of tar. This was a conversation for the people — his people — and he is very good at getting them to rally around a cause.
Nye is a man of science, and practical solutions. Those of us of a certain age remember watching him on TV, and the nerdier of us remember trying to replicate his experiments for science fairs. He’s a face this generation knows, and a voice of reason. That voice of reason is becoming increasingly exasperated, but this very meeting relays to their followers that there IS hope, and we haven’t yet reached the point of no return. As a conversational duo, Sanders’ and Nye’s collective voice and targeted message will no doubt help to ready the masses in this environmental call to arms.
