Neil DeGrasse Tyson: We Are Witnessing The 'Unraveling Of An Informed Democracy'

>> IT'S CRITICAL DATA, BUT IT'S EXTRAORDINARILY RISKY.
RICHARD, WE THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
LET'S BRING INTO THIS CONVERSATION ASTROPHYSICIST NEIL
deGRASSE TYSON. GIVE ME THE SCIENCE PRPT i.
WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? >> EARTH IS PISSED OFF.
SORRY. I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO PUT IT.
>> SEE, I DO UNDERSTAND SCIENCE. >> THESE ARE SHOTS ACROSS THE
BOW AT THIS POINT. WE ARE REMINDED HOW SUSCEPTIBLE
COASTAL CITIES ARE TO FLOODING UNDER THE EXTREME WEATHER
CIRCUMSTANCES. MOST OF CIVILIZATION, IN FACT,
ARE -- WAS BUILT ON CITIES ON WATERWAYS FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR
COMMERCE. >> OF COURSE.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE BUILT CITIES. >> SO WHILE -- THIS COULD JUST
SIMPLY BE AN UNLUCKY YEAR TO HAVE SO MANY INTENSE STORMS.
BY THE WAY, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE REMINDED THAT TROPICAL
DEPRESSIONS ARE NAMED ALPHABETICALLY.
WE'RE UP TO "M." OFTEN THEY DON'T MAKE IT TO
HURRICANE STATUS. YOU SEE HURRICANES IN SEQUENCE
THAT ARE NOT CONSECUTIVE IN THE ALPHABET.
>> BECAUSE THERE ARE TROPICAL DEPRESSIONS --
>> MAY HAVE BEEN A TROPICAL STORM AND PETERED AWAY.
CONSIDER THAT WHEN YOU WARM THE PLANET, THE CAPACITY OF THE AIR
TO RETAIN MOISTURE GOES UP. >> THE RECORDS IN CLIMATE
CHANGE. >> YES.
GENERALLY WHEN WE THINK OF WEATHER, WE DON'T THINK OF CLEAR
BLUE SKIES. WE THINK OF WHAT WATER IS DOING
IN THE ATMOSPHERE. WHEN WE THINK OF WEATHER, THAT'S
WHAT WE THINK OF. SO WHEN YOU STORE THAT MUCH MORE
MOISTURE IN THE ATMOSPHERE, WE ARE THAT MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE
TO THE EXTREMES OF WEATHER. SO A STORM WOULD BE MORE
INTENSE. DROUGHT AREAS WOULD BE MORE
INTENSE. AND SO THESE ARE SHOTS ACROSS
OUR BOW. AND TO HAVE PEOPLE STILL SAYING
I CHOOSE NOT TO FOLLOW WHAT THE CONSENSUS OF OBSERVATIONS AND
EXPERIMENTS GIVES US, REGARDING --
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT SEA LEVEL, RIGHT?
THAT'S NOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH
WHETHER YOU ACCEPT CLIMATE CHANGE.
IT'S WHETHER YOU CAN READ A RULER.
SO THIS IS NOT -- WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE KNOW THAT THE
EARTH IS WARMING. WE KNOW THE WATER IS WARMING,
AND WE KNOW THESE STORMS THAT GET THEIR ENERGY FROM WARMING
WATERS DO FEED OFF OF. >> YES.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT FACT.
THE OCEAN IS A HUGE REPOSITORY OF HEAT ENERGY.
AS WELL AS CARBON DIOXIDE. SO EVEN IF WE STOPPED TAKING
CARBON OUT OF THE GROUND, BURNING IT, AND ENTERING IT AS A
GREENHOUSE GAS, IF WE STOP THAT TOMORROW, THERE'S STILL THE LAG
TIME THE OCEAN WOULD BE GENERATING INFLUENCING THE
CLIMATE OR THE ATMOSPHERE UNTIL THAT LEVELS OFF.
>> THEN FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WE KNOW WE'RE IN A FIRST
RESPONDERS MOMENT WITH PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.
LET'S GO A MONTH FROM NOW WHEN THEY'RE REPLANNING THE REBUILD.
FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS TO
BE CONSIDERED? >> WELL, FIRST, ANYONE WHO WANTS
TO BASE POLICY ON WHAT MIGHT BE RESEARCH PAPERS THAT ARE NOT IN
THE CONSENSUS OF WHAT OTHER OBSERVATIONS HAVE SHOWN, THAT IS
RISKY. THAT IS -- NO, IT'S
IRRESPONSIBLE. TO SAY HERE'S THIS ONE RESEARCH
PAPER. THAT'S THE TRUTH BECAUSE IT
FULFILLS MY PHILOSOPHIES. >> WHY DO WE HAVE -- WHY ARE WE
HAVING THIS DEBATE? IT IS NOT A GLOBAL PHENOMENON.
IT'S UNIQUELY AMERICAN AND TO THE UK THAT WE HAVE ARGUMENT.
>> EVER WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED THE RELIGION OR PHILOSOPHY WOULD
BE A ROAD BLOCK TO MIS. >> OR ECONOMICS OR WHATEVER IT
IS. PEOPLE CHERRY PICKING SCIENCE IN
THE FRINGES OF WHAT IS OTHERWISE THE EMERGING CONSENSUS OF
OBSERVATION AND EXPERIMENT. SO THAT'S DISTURBING TO ME.
AND I FEEL SOMETHING HAPPENED. I TURN BACK TO THE ELECTORATE
AND SAY WHAT HAPPENED IN YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT YOU DON'T
UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE THE MEANING AND IMPACT AND
SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT A SCIENTIFIC RESULT IS, HOW YOU
ARRIVE AT THEM. I HAD A TWEET A COUPLE OF WEEKS
AGO THAT WENT VIRAL FOR REASONS I DID NOT EXPECT.
IT WAS A WEEK BEFORE THE ECLIPSE.
I SAID NEXT WEEK'S TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, ODD THAT THERE ARE NO
DENIERS ABOUT THIS ECLIPSE BECAUSE LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE THE
METHODS AND TOOLS OF SCIENCE PREDICT IT.
AND SOMEHOW THAT WENT VIRAL. >> I REMEMBER THE TWEET, YEAH.
>> PEOPLE RESONATED WITH THAT. AND I JUST -- IT'S ODD THAT
YOU'VE GOT YOUR CELL PHONE AND YOU'RE USING ALL THE SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY WITH --
>> BUT THIS ONE WE'RE NOT HAPPY WITH.
>> THIS ONE COMES UP, CHERRY PICK THAT.
>> BUT IT GOES BEYOND DENYING SCIENCE.
IT'S ABOUT GOOD LONG-TERM DECISION MAKING AND CLIMATE
CHANGE -- >> HERE'S AN EXAMPLE.
>> PEOPLE MAKING LONG-TERM DECISIONS WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT BUSINESS OR SCIENCE. >> SO IF YOU BUILD
INFRASTRUCTURE TO WITHSTAND RISING SEA LEVELS, IT COSTS YOU
$1. IF YOU REPAIR THAT
INFRASTRUCTURE AFTER A FLOOD, IT'S $4.
BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS THE $1 ON THE FRONT END IS PRIVATE MONEY.
THE $4 ON THE BACK END IS TAXPAYER MONEY.
>> NOT ONLY THAT, IF YOU PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE,
THEN IT'S NOBODY'S MONEY. ON THAT LEVEL.
>> YES. BUT PEOPLE AREN'T NECESSARILY

CALCULATION. THOUGHTFULNESS ISN'T WHAT
SHAREHOLDERS LOOK FOR OR VOTERS LOOK FOR.
>> THAT IS AN UNRAVELING OF AN INFORMED DEMOCRACY.
IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE DECIDING ON FRINGE INFORMATION AND MAKING
POLICY ON, YES, IT IS THE UNRAVELING OF AN INFORMED
DEMOCRACY AND I FEAR FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY AND
LEADER OF THE WORLD RL, THAT'S THE COUNTRY I GREW UP IN.
WE LED THE WORLD. >> BY THE WAY, YOU CAN TWEET
NEIL deGRASSE AND YOU SHOULD. >> TYSON.
>> I'M SORRY. ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE WILL
SAY IS IS THIS THE MOMENT IN WHICH TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION
ABOUT CLIMATE SCIENCE? >> IT SHOULD HAPPEN TEN YEARS
AGO, BUT SURE NOW IS FINE. >> NOW WHEN THERE'S A ZASS SER
THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH HAVING THIS DISCUSSION?
I FEEL THE FOCUS IS ON THESE TOPICS RIGHT NOW.
>> ANY REASON SHOULD BE A GOOD REASON ESPECIALLY CATEGORY 4 AND
5 HURRICANES LAYING WASTE TO SOME OF OUR MOST CHERISHED
CITIES AND MONUMENTS. BY THE WAY, BY THE WAY, WHEN WE
TALK ABOUT SEA LEVELS RISING -- LET ME BENCHMARK THIS FOR YOU.
IF WE LOSE THE ICE SHEETS ON GREENLAND AND ANTARCTICA, JUST
KNOW WHAT THE LIMIT OF THIS IS. THE SEA LEVEL WILL RISE THAT OF
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY'S LEFT ELBOW.
OKAY? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING IN
HERE. BETWEEN WHERE IT IS NOW AND
WHERE THAT COULD BE IF WE LOSE ALL THE ICE SHEETS AND ANYTHING
IN BETWEEN IS IN BETWEEN. FACT NUMBER ONE.
FACT NUMBER TWO, THE RISING SEA LEVELS, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN LIKE
GRADUALLY LIKE THERE'S THE WATER LEVEL.
NO. IT HAPPENS AT STORM SURGES.
THE STORM IS LIKE AN INCH HIGHER THAN THE WALL YOU PREVIOUSLY
BUILT. AND THAT INCH IS CONNECTED TO AN
UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE OCEAN AND IT FILLS UP YOUR CITY.
YOU SAY, OH, THAT'S JUST AN EXCEPTION.
WELL, THAT ONE IN A HUNDRED YEAR STORM BECOMES ONE IN A TEN YEAR
STORM. ONE IN A FIVE YEAR STORM.
ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HAVE A NEW COASTLINE.
YOU START BUILDING YOUR HOMES FURTHER AND FURTHER INLAND.
AND EVENTUALLY YOUR ENTIRE CITY IS 20 MILES IN BECAUSE YOU'VE
LOST EVERYTHING ON THE COASTLINE.
>> WELL, THIS IS IMPORTANT THOUGH.
BECAUSE AS WE ARE DEVELOPING, YOU KNOW, THE HEATING OF THE
EARTH IS GOING TO LEAVE -- WE THINK ABOUT THE REFUGEE CRISIS
RIGHT NOW. IT'S GOING TO BE MUCH BIGGER.
>> YOU KNOW WHO IS PAYING ATTENTION TO THE SCIENTISTS?
INSURANCE COMPANIES. BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO COST THEM
MONEY IF THEY'RE LISTENING TO THE DENIERS.
AND THE MILITARY. BECAUSE THE STABILITY OF NATIONS
AROUND THE WORLD WHEN YOU HAVE THESE LOW LYING COUNTRIES
ESPECIALLY IN POLYNESIA WHERE YOU HAVE THESE ISLANDS THAT ARE
LOW LYING, RISING SEA LEVEL. IT WILL DISPLACE HUGE
POPULATIONS AND YOU WOULD HAVE A REFUGEE PROBLEM LIKE THE WORLD
HAS NEVER SEEN. >> THINK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE
AFRICAN COUNTRIES WHERE PEOPLE SIMPLY CAN'T SURVIVE ANYMORE.
THEY CAN'T FARM, THEY CAN'T LIVE.
THEY'RE MOVING FOR THAT REASON. IT'S NOT ENTIRELY POLITICS WHY
WE'RE GETTING A REFUGEE CRISIS. >> EXACTLY.
AND IF YOU DESTABILIZE NATIONAL BORDERS, THAT AFFECTS NOT ONLY
ECONOMIES BUT ALSO THE SECURITY AND THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE.
SO I'M HERE AS AN EDUCATOR, AS A SCIENTIST, JUST TRYING TO GET
PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO THINK ABOUT AND
RECOGNIZE WHAT A SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVE TRUTH IS.
AND HOW AND WHY IT SHOULD BE HEEDED OTHERWISE WHAT KIND OF
COUNTRY DO YOU HAVE? >> YOU'VE GOT TO FOLLOW NEIL
deGRASSE TYSON ON TWITTER. >> AND YOU'VE GOT TO WATCH HIS
SHOW. THE NEW SEASON OF "STAR TALK"
PREMIERES OCTOBER 1st ON NAT GEO.
>> THE SHOW WE TALK TO CELEBRITIES AND DESCRIBE WHAT
ROLE SCIENCE HAS PLAYED IN THEIR LIVES.
YOU COME FOR THE CELEBRITY AND STAY NOR THE SCIENCE.
>> SCIENCE AND ART ARE INTERTWINED.
SCIENCE AND ART HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TRYING TO HELP WHAT AILS THE
HUMAN CONDITION. >> WONDER WHY PEOPLE SAY YOU'VE
RAISED THAT TO AN ART. OR IT'S DOWN TO SCIENCE.
>> SOME THINGS ARE ART. SOME THINGS ARE SCIENCE.
SOME THINGS ARE BOTH. >> MY RECENT BOOK IS, LIKE,
NUMBER ONE NOW ON "THE NEW YORK TIMES" BEST SELLER.
WHICH IS COMPLETELY CRAZY. >> FITS IN YOUR POCKET.
>> FOR PEOPLE IN A HURRY. IT'S CRAZY BECAUSE WE CELEBRATE
ANY TIME ANYBODY'S SCIENCE BOOK LANDS ANYWHERE ON A BEST SELLER
LIST. IT'S ALWAYS THE PUNDIT BOOKS AND
THE CELEBRITY TELL ALLS. IT'S A SCIENCE BOOK.
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Neil DeGrasse Tyson: We Are Witnessing The 'Unraveling Of An Informed Democracy' | MSNBC

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