by Amanda Doyle
He taught us the physics behind flight, mechanisms in an eyeball, and layers of the atmosphere (all accompanied by pop music parodies), but now, Bill Nye the Science Guy tackles a much more difficult issue… climate change. An advocate himself, Bill makes frequent appearances at universities and conventions, and on news broadcasts addressing this modern concern. In February 2010, soon after a blizzard crippled Washington D.C., Bill spoke on MSNBC as a guest of Rachel Maddow. Many disbelieving politicians utilized the blizzard to debunk the theory of global warming; however, Bill explained that climate change may have been the driving force that created the catastrophic storm. Accustomed to educating an elementary audience Bill provided a clear and concise explanation of climate change, one both students and elders alike could understand and appreciate.
Bill Nye Science Guy on Rachel Maddow Talking About Climate Change
msnbc, “Bill Nye Science Guy on Rachel Maddow Talking About Climate Change,” Youtube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm05Mcah0i8 (accessed October 1,2011).
First, Bill clarifies that global warming was the initial term to address this phenomenon but since global warming created numerous misconceptions the current accepted expression is climate change. He continues to explain that more energy is being trapped within Earth’s atmosphere and all of this energy is “stirring things up.” Consequently, the world is warming leading to more intense phenomena, such as El Niño, which has a profound effect on weather in North America. When Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) increase during El Niño more energy is released into the atmosphere making conditions more turbulent and resulting in extreme weather that can range from extreme drought, excessive rain, and even atypical snowstorms.
Lastly, Bill states that disbelievers of climate change are “unpatriotic,” and he reminds us that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change received a Nobel Prize for their extensive research that brought to light this phenomenon, which will remain a heated topic of debate for years to come.
Bill Nye the Science Guy, The Magic School Bus and Captain Planet captured my imagination as a child and ignited my continuing interest in science. It was awesome to see this newscast as Bill was able to concisely and eloquently explain many of the issues that we have covered in class such as El Niño, rising sea surface temperatures, and misconceptions about climate change. What I found to be particularly admirable was Bill’s stance which charged those who deny the facts of climate change as unpatriotic. He was then able to substantiate his stance by discussing how much our country and economy have benefited from embracing science in the past and highlighting the level of the achievements of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change by reminding viewers that their discoveries merited a Nobel Prize.
I agree with Bill that it is very ignorant and unpatriotic for politicians to say global warming is a myth, using snowstorms as proof.In a 2010 article published after January’s record-breaking low temperatures and the blizzard that dumped two feet of snow on Washington, I found a link to this video (below) that mocks two Democratic candidates, Rep. Rick Boucher and Rep. Tom Perriello, for supporting cap-and-trade climate change legislation. The video, titled “12 inches of Global Warming” shows scenes from the blizzard nicknamed snowpocalypse. The article also quoted Periello spokeswoman Jessica Barba, who said, “If the Republican Party can’t tell the difference between climate and weather, that’s their problem.”
The video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up2sm2Sa6P0