Lake change in New Mexico / Source: NASA [1]
Global warming has found a worthy spokesman: Bill Nye [2] (yes, the Science Guy), who recently sat down for a not-so-tame discourse on climate change with Nick Loris, an economist from conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, on CNN's Crossfire. "Climate change is our most urgent, number one priority right now," Bill pleaded. The debate [3], which mostly involves adults interrupting each other, is riling up the Internet's feathers today and compelling lots of people to take sides, so we want to know: do you believe climate change is real?
Climate change is a hot-button topic these days. Scientists point to reports that say it's here and it's getting worse. Deniers question those very reports, claiming that it's natural or that climate models can't be trusted. The facts are being disputed once again, in light of the recent publication of the National Climate Assessment [4] straight from the White House, which urges Americans that climate change has arrived and the outlook is grim.
But Crossfire panelist Sarah Cupp disagrees. During the Bill Nye debate, Sarah claimed that the White House report employs "scare tactics" to change the public consensus and it's not working. The Heritage Foundation economist Nick Loris doesn't agree with the facts from the report entirely.
And these are not isolated opinions. Over 20 percent [5] of Americans don't believe that the planet's atmospheric conditions are evolving, despite evidence from NASA [6] that points to the contrary. Watch the two CNN Crossfire clips, and then let us know: do you believe that climate change is real? That it is affecting our planet right now? Will man-made emissions continue to cause significant, lasting change in the distribution of weather patterns in the coming decades?