CNN Learns What Happens When You Try to Bully Bill Nye Over Climate Change

Impact

If you're going to call out Bill Nye, be ready for when he comes right back at you. 

After the White House released their damning and somewhat-terrifying report on climate change, CNN decided to dig into the issue and bring on the experts to debate the topic — well, one expert and a couple other people. Bill Nye the Science Guy (although these days he's becoming Bill Nye the Debate Guy) joined Nicolas Loris, a policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation's Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, and Crossfire's S.E. Cupp and Van Jones.

Though Nye was on the show to debate Loris, the real excitement came when Cupp wouldn't stop badgering Nye about focusing on facts and the Obama adminstration's failed "scare tactics." When Cupp brought up the fact that only 36% of Americans think climate change is a serious issue, Nye argued that despite a disinterested, disengaged and misinformed public, politicians and leaders need to focus on the climate change and it's economic impacts, such as the tremendous toll Hurricane Sandy has cost, and continues to cost, the U.S. government (roughly $65 billion).

But the juiciest part of the roundtable came after Cupp accused Nye of "bullying" anyone who disagrees with him on climate science, including Loris, who continued to argue that there are other issues besides climate change to consider and to spend money on. On those other issues, such as entitlement reform and heart diseases, Cupp said ... well, take a look for yourself:

Image Credit: CNN screengrab

Sure, you can try to make Bill Nye the Science Guy look stupid by putting words in his mouth, but when those words are the right ones, guess who comes out the winner?

At this point it's getting to be an amazingly frustrating debate ... one that's probably summed up by the look on Nye's face here:

You can watch most of the debate below: