Jimmy Kimmel has a surprisingly strong, scientific, and sassy message on climate change
Sarah Palin has been promoting a new anti–climate change documentary, Jimmy Kimmel said on Monday's Kimmel Live, and he had some fun with her climate change denial. "I have a theory: I think Sarah Palin maybe wants global warming — it's cold in Alaska, it would be welcome up there," he said. "But the idea that she knows more than 97 percent of scientists, it's offensive, it's dangerous." Palin isn't alone — or even a minority in her party. And the conservative disbelief about climate change makes no sense, he said. "Unlike a lot of things, this isn't a matter of political opinion, it's a matter of scientific opinion," and the scientific opinion is overwhelming that humans are causing the Earth to heat up.
Kimmel compared Republicans in Congress denying the existence of climate change to him declaring he believes "yogurt is a conspiracy created by John Stamos." You would rightly call him insane, Kimmel said. "To me, the big question is, either you believe in science or you don't. Why do we believe scientists when it comes to molecules and the speed of light and Cialis, but not this?" His answer is that members of Congress take money from, and are told not to worry about climate change by, "companies that make pollution for a living."
Kimmel talked about the science of climate change a bit, and then turned the stage over to a pre-recorded video in which real climate scientists explain that human-influenced climate change is real, is not a hoax or a prank, and they they are "not f---ing with you." An adorable kid caps it off by asking adults not to "f--k this up" for his generation. And if you want to kvetch about Kimmel taking an unusually bold step into science and politics, he's ready for it. "I know I'll get beaten over the head by every wacko website, and I know there'll be a lot of 'What the hell do you know? Go back to girls jumping on trampolines,'" he said. "This is not about what I know. This is about what scientists know." Watch below. Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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