Bill Nye, "Science Guy," Wants Jail Time for Climate Change Denial Fraudsters

[Oktoberfest]

http://reason.com/blog/2016/04/15/bi...to-jail-time-f

Bill Nye, called "The Science Guy" after the kids' show he hosted for PBS back in the 1990s, is up for jailing people who question climate change.

Asked about environmental activist Robert Kennedy's assertion that climate skeptics should be tried as war criminals, the TV personality mused, "We’ll see what happens."

In a discussion of the case being brought by various state attorneys general against ExxonMobil—an action that has led to subpoenas of free-market think tanks such as the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI)—Nye had this to say:

As a taxpayer and voter, the introduction of this extreme doubt about climate change is affecting my quality of life as a public citizen... So I can see where people are very concerned about this, and they’re pursuing criminal investigations as well as engaging in discussions like this....That there is a chilling effect on scientists who are in extreme doubt about climate change, I think that is good.

You don't need to be a flat-earther to think this sort of attitude is necessarily all to the good. Science works best when consensuses are reached via evidence and broad agreement, not political and legal threats.

Reason's science correspondent, Ronald Bailey, notes that CEI subpoeana—which seeks 10 years' worth of internal correspondence and private donor information—proceeded directly from a conference hosted by Al Gore and featuring many state-level attorneys general. Their main target is ExxonMobil, which they claim has lied about environmental science. But as Bailey, who doesn't actually agree with CEI on many climate-change issues and policies, notes, "to outlaw disagreements over how to interpret science heads down the perilous path toward Lysenkoism, in which only officially approved science is allowed to be practiced and discussed."

And as Glenn Reynolds, the University of Tennessee Law professor who runs the popular Instapundit site, wrote in USA Today, the subpoena of CEI is meant to punish the nonprofit for having taken money from ExxonMobil and will almost certainly chill its ability to raise money from donors. All because it doesn't subscribe to what politicians say is the proper way to think about and act on climate change.

Prescribing such orthodoxy seems to be just what they have in mind. Their approach is — and I use this term quite deliberately — thoroughly un-American. In pursuing this action, they are betraying their oaths of office, abusing their powers and behaving unethically as attorneys.... free speech advocates are already talking about a Virgin Islands tourism boycott. And voters everywhere need to ask themselves: If these government officials have such contempt for others’ constitutional rights, who might they target next for “unacceptable” speech?

[Deleted]

A bit like back in the day, when scientists got banned from cities or communities, jailed or worse for having scientific views.
Only now, it's the other way around!

[Very Tired]

This is that guy who is apparently as smart of a scientist as Sarah Palin, right?

[prwraith]

Only a rank moron denies man is negatively impacting earth. Culling them is an acceptable loss to correct mistakes before they've gone too far

[Deleted]

This is that guy who is apparently as smart of a scientist as Sarah Palin, right?

I can't say if they are on the same level of intelligence, but the statement he made here sure is on a "Sarah Palin level".

[fengosa]

I don't see where he says anything all that specific about jailing anyone. I think it would be hard to prove that someone had specific and malicious intent.

There is precedent with the tobacco companies and auto makers hiding flaws in their products and ending up paying for it. The difference with an oil company however is that the harm is to society as a whole and not those consuming their products.

[PACOX]

Eh no? Do we live in the Middle Ages?

I don't care if they are right or wrong, hasn't history taught us about no jailing people just because you think they are dumb or factually wrong. Doesn't really matter who is right or wrong. The whole "jail the naysayers" works (emphasized because its a horrible practice) until its used (which always happens) to jail people who simply don't agree with you.

War crimes? Is Nye insane? Does he need money or something?

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Saying he wants Climate change deniers to serve jail time is twisting his words considerably.

As a taxpayer and voter, the introduction of this extreme doubt about climate change is affecting my quality of life as a public citizen... So I can see where people are very concerned about this, and they’re pursuing criminal investigations as well as engaging in discussions like this....That there is a chilling effect on scientists who are in extreme doubt about climate change, I think that is good.

What he's saying is that people are looking into things to see if any crimes have been committed by the deniers (vis a vis falsifying data) ...and he is okay with that.

He is not saying "Throw all the Climate change deniers behind bars"

[Merkava]

I can't say if they are on the same level of intelligence, but the statement he made here sure is on a "Sarah Palin level".

We may have touched upon the only thing that Palin knows more about than Nye. Embarrassingly for him it just so happens to be the First Amendment.

[Acidbaron]

Some laws should be in place that spreading misinformation intentionally means you can be held accountable if you are taking up some sort of PR position, should flush out a whole lot of PR folk that do nothing but mislead weak minded. Everyone knows fossil fuel industry is on the way out, there's no reason to keep on hanging on to it it's not even profitable hell not even nuclear plants are profitable to build these days, just a matter of time till fossil fuel is dead in the water, might as wel advance it now to the point it gets into the free market and no longer needs subsidies.

If you are still having doubts about climate change being effected by us, you are simply incapable of reading the studies. And should take the smart position of learn to read it and stop hiding behind a few shills that reduce complicated science to buzzwords. Glad this denial syndrome is not a thing here, testament to good education and information media in my country.

[fengosa]

Eh no? Do we live in the Middle Ages?

I don't care if they are right or wrong, hasn't history taught us about no jailing people just because you think they are dumb or factually wrong. Doesn't really matter who is right or wrong. The whole "jail the naysayers" works (emphasized because its a horrible practice) until its used (which always happens) to jail people who simply don't agree with you.

War crimes? Is Nye insane? Does he need money or something?

He didn't say a single thing about war crimes. Please read the OP again.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Eh no? Do we live in the Middle Ages?

I don't care if they are right or wrong, hasn't history taught us about no jailing people just because you think they are dumb or factually wrong. Doesn't really matter who is right or wrong. The whole "jail the naysayers" works (emphasized because its a horrible practice) until its used (which always happens) to jail people who simply don't agree with you.

War crimes? Is Nye insane? Does he need money or something?

He never says "jail the naysayers"

He says that certain people are investigating to see if any criminal activity has been done.

Very different statements.

[Kalis]

That is out of context, he is comparing it to those from the cigarette industry who deliberately lied and said smoking was safe when they knew it was not and asking if they should have been jailed when it was found out they had been lying.

[Oktoberfest]

Only a rank moron denies man is negatively impacting earth. Culling them is an acceptable loss to correct mistakes before they've gone too far

How would you feel about the right suggesting its time to thin the herd and exterminate leftists?

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

How would you feel about the right suggesting its time to thin the herd and exterminate leftists?

Are you saying they don't already?

[PACOX]

He didn't say a single thing about war crimes. Please read the OP again.

Read OPs article, read one linked in OPs article, and read another. He certainly implied it in the way a politician would to cover their butt down the line.

[Oktoberfest]

[video=youtube;xlk4Lt__Sn0]

That is out of context, he is comparing it to those from the cigarette industry who deliberately lied and said smoking was safe when they knew it was not and asking if they should have been jailed when it was found out they had been lying.

Oh he is absolutely suggesting jail for them. Passive aggressive style which is the norm coming from the left.

[Tradewind]

How would you feel about the right suggesting its time to thin the herd and exterminate leftists?

How about we just cull the ones who think science is determined by what side of the political line you land on.

[Oktoberfest]

Read OPs article, read one linked in OPs article, and read another. He certainly implied it in the way a politician would to cover their butt down the line.

Yup.
He clearly wants skeptics rounded up. Guy is a fanatic.

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How about we just cull the ones who think science is determined by what side of the political line you land on.

Sure why not. That would leave about 10% of the population left

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Are you saying they don't already?

Its not the right thats the threat for mass genocide, its the left. Before you start I was an anti-Reagan, Bush Sr, Bush Jr and anti-war Democrat too.

[Merkava]

Additionally, the guy's got a BS in Engineering; why does everyone act like he's God's gift to science?