>>CAN HUMANS DEAL WITH ANYTHING?
BILL NYE, WHO CONSIDERS HUMANS
UNSTOPPABLE, THINKS SO.
BUT HE ALSO NOTES THAT THEY HAVE
NO CHOICE.
HE'LL EXPLAIN NEXT, ON GLOBAL
PERSPECTIVES.
♪THEME MUSIC♪
>>THIS IS GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
WITH PULITZER PRIZE WINNING
COMMENTATOR, JOHN BERSIA.
>>WELCOME TO GLOBAL
PERSPECTIVES.
ONCE YOU'VE BECOME THE SCIENCE
GUY IS IT POSSIBLE TO STOP?
APPARENTLY NOT FOR BILL NYE,
WHO'S JUST PUBLISHED A NEW BOOK
CALLED, "UNSTOPPABLE."
HE'S AS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT
SCIENCE AS EVER, AS YOU'LL SEE
IN THIS SPECIAL ON-LOCATION
EPISODE OF GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW, MR. NYE.
>>UH, THANK YOU.
IT' SO GOOD TO BE HERE.
>>SO TELL US, WHEN DID YOU FIRST
BECOME INTERESTED IN CLIMATE
CHANGE IN THE SENSE THAT YOU
WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IT?
>>WHEN I FIRST GOT CONCERNED
ABOUT IT WAS PROBABLY 1988, THAT
SUMMER.
WHEN JAMES HANSEN WHO'S NOW,
HE'S A NASA SCIENTIST AT
G.I.S.S., GODDARD INSTITUTE FOR
SPACE STUDIES. 
AND HE TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF
CONGRESS ABOUT THE SERIOUSNESS
OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
IN JUNE--I THINK IT WAS JUNE
18TH 1988.
ANYWAY, SO, THAT'S WHEN I FIRST
STARTED GETTING CONCERNED ABOUT
IT.
ON THE SCIENCE GUY SHOW, YOU
KNOW, WE DID SEVERAL
DEMONSTRATIONS ABOUT CLIMATE
CHANGE IN THE 1990S, OVER 20
YEARS AGO; AND HARDLY ANYTHING
HAS HAPPENED.
>>SO, AND WE STILL HAVE A
PROBLEM WITH THOSE WHO DOUBT AND
WHO DISPUTE THAT SOMETHING IS
HAPPENING.
WHY IS THAT?
>>IN THE UNITED STATES WE
CERTAINLY DO.
WELL BECAUSE THE FOSSIL FUEL
INDUSTRY HAS WORKED VERY HARD TO
PROMOTE THIS IDEA THAT PLUS OR
MINUS SOME SMALL PERCENTAGE IN
SCIENTIFIC TOLERANCE, PLUS OR
MINUS 2% IS THE SAME AS PLUS OR
MINUS 100%.
DOUBT ABOUT THE WHOLE THING.
THEY'VE WORKED VERY HARD TO
INTRODUCE THAT IDEA.
AND THEY'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
JAMES INHOFE FROM OKLAHOMA
THINKS THAT IF HE FINDS A
SNOWBALL IT MEANS THERE'S NO
CLIMATE CHANGE.
IN MY OPINION, SORT OF THE
LAZIEST THINKING IS A CONSPIRACY
THEORY WHERE IF ONLY THERE WERE
60 PEOPLE IN CHARGE OF
EVERYTHING SCREWING IT UP, YOU'D
JUST HAVE TO GET THOSE 60 PEOPLE
AND EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE.
BUT THERE'S NO CONSPIRACY OF
SCIENTISTS.
AND THEN HERE IN FLORIDA, I'M
LAUGHING OUT LOUD, WHEN YOUR
GOVERNOR WILL NOT ALLOW HIS
STAFF TO SAY CLIMATE CHANGE IN
MEETINGS OR IN DOCUMENTS.
I'M SORRY.
IT'S A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE, BUT
THAT'S SILLY.
I MEAN, I LOVE YOU ALL BUT COME
ON.
MEANWHILE, THE CITY ENGINEER IN
MIAMI BEACH IS WORKING VERY HARD
TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE.
>>SO FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T AS
FAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUE AS YOU
ARE, WHAT WOULD BE TWO OR THREE
REALLY SIGNIFICANT EXAMPLES OF
HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS UPON US
AND CAUSING SEVERE PROBLEMS?
>>WELL TODAY THERE'S ENORMOUS
FLOODS IN THE SOUTH OF THE
UNITED STATES, SOUTHEAST UNITED
STATES.
AND YOU CANNOT TIE--IT'S VERY
DIFFICULT TO TIE ANY ONE HEAT
EVENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
COLD EVENTS ARE NOW BEING
SUCCESSFULLY TIED.
THEY CAN HOME IN, THERE'S ENOUGH
ACCURACY TO SHOW THE CONNECTION.
BUT ANYWAY, SO THERE'S MORE HEAT
ENERGY IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
SO IT RAINS MORE BECAUSE WATER
FROM THE OCEAN EVAPORATES MORE.
IT ALSO GENERALLY SNOWS MORE; AS
IT DID OUT WEST THIS YEAR.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IN
FLORIDA, WITH ALL THESE COASTAL
CITIES, ALL THESE COASTAL AREAS,
WHEN YOU GET THE WORLD JUST A
LITTLE BIT WARMER, THE OCEAN
GETS BIGGER.
AND JUST EVERYBODY RAISING THE
TEMPERATURE OF AN ENTIRE PLANET
TWO DEGREES FAHRENHEIT OR ONE
AND-A-HALF DEGREES CELSIUS THAT
IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF HEAT ENERGY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SEPTILLIONS
OF JEWELS, OF KILOWATT HOURS.
AND SO WHEN YOU MAKE THE OCEAN
JUST A LITTLE BIGGER THERE'S
FLOODING.
YOU CAN'T GET IN MANY PARTS OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI, YOU CAN'T GET
INSURANCE FOR YOUR CAR BECAUSE
THE WHEELS RUST.
ALL THE PARKING LOTS FLOOD WITH
SALTY WATER SO FREQUENTLY.
AND THE FLOODS, THERE HAVE
ALWAYS BEEN FLOODS BUT NOW
THEY'RE BIGGER AND MORE FREQUENT
AND SO ON.
AND THE IRONY IS, PEOPLE ARE
INVESTING ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF
MONEY TO LIVE RIGHT ON THE
OCEAN.
AND THE OCEAN'S COMING--NORFOLK,
VIRGINIA.
THE OCEAN'S COMING IN AND PEOPLE
ARE MOVING.
>>SO IN THE END YOU'LL HAVE TO
MOVE AND MOVE THOSE CITIES.
>>YES, SO THIS IS A BIG THING.
THIS IS IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THE NEXT
30 YEARS, WHICH IS A LONG TIME
BUT IT'S NOT THAT LONG.
AND PEOPLE ARE GONNA MOVE AWAY
FROM THE SHORE AND WHERE ARE
THEY GONNA GO, AND WHAT ARE THEY
GONNA DO FOR A LIVING, AND
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO ALL THAT
INFRASTRUCTURE, ALL THE COPPER
WIRING AND PLUMBING, AND
BUILDING MATERIALS, AND PARKING
LOTS, AND CAR DEALERSHIPS, AND
CONVENIENCE STORES?
IT'S NOT THAT THE COASTAL
REGIONS OF FLORIDA, ESPECIALLY
SOUTH FLORIDA ARE GONNA BE UNDER
30 FEET OF WATER, THEY'RE GONNA
BE UNDER SIX INCHES OF WATER.
AND THAT'S ENOUGH.
YOU CAN'T BE THERE.
YOU'LL LEAVE.
YOU CAN PUT SANDBAGS OUT IN
FRONT OF YOUR BUSINESS FOR A
WHILE, BUT PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA
COME TO IT IF THEY CAN'T DRIVE
THERE.
AND SO FLORIDA IS THE MOST
AFFECTED STATE; FLORIDA,
LOUISIANA.
AND YET, YOU HAVE A GOVERNOR
THAT'S IN DENIAL ABOUT THIS.
IT'S REALLY--IT'S A CHIN
STROKER.
>>SO YOUR NEW BOOK "UNSTOPPABLE"
IS ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
>>YUP.
>>AND YOU WERE TELLING US SOME
INTERESTING ANECDOTES ABOUT YOUR
EXPERIENCES IN CHINA WHERE YOU
ACTUALLY RODE A BICYCLE, WHICH
IS LESS AND LESS COMMON THERE.
>>WELL ACTUALLY I SAW THIS
MORNING ON CBS NEWS THAT A STORY
ABOUT BEIJING NOW HAS A BIKE,
SHARED BICYCLE PROGRAM TRYING TO
GET PEOPLE TO GET BACK ON
BICYCLES.
YEAH SO THIS GUY'S--THIS GUY
WHO'S A MEMBER OF THE PLANETARY
SOCIETY WHO WAS AT THAT TIME
APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL IN
PHYSICS.
NOW HE'S I'M PRETTY SURE I GOT
AN EMAIL FROM HIM, HE'S DOING
HIS POST-DOC.
ANYWAY, HIS FATHER RODE A
BICYCLE FOR YEARS BUT HE WAS
ABLE TO GET A CAR.
THEIR FAMILY'S INCOME HAD--THIS
IS BACK IN, IT WAS 2008--HIS
FAMILY'S INCOME HAD GOTTEN HIGH
ENOUGH WHERE HIS DAD JUST DIDN'T
RIDE HIS BIKE ANYMORE.
SO I--HE LEANT IT TO ME.
AND I RODE HIS BIKE ALL OVER
BEIJING.
I MEAN MANY TOURIST DESTINATIONS
IN BEIJING.
IT'S VERY EASY TO GET AROUND
WHEN THE WEATHER'S NICE.
AND ALSO WHEN I WAS THERE THEY
DID NOT HAVE THE CRAZY POLLUTION
THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW.
SO IT WAS ACCEPTABLE.
BUT LOOKING AT PICTURES AND
TALKING TO THIS GUY AT THE UNION
OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS, WHO'S
FLUENT IN CHINESE AND WORKED
THERE FOR A LONG TIME, THE AIR
IS SO BAD THAT PEOPLE JUST DON'T
RIDE AS MUCH.
IT'S CRAZY.
>>TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
YOUR OWN SCIENCE EDUCATION AND
IN PARTICULAR YOUR EXPERIENCES
WITH CARL SAGAN.
>>WELL, SO I'M A MECHANICAL
ENGINEER.
I WENT TO ENGINEERING SCHOOL.
AND JUST FOR ANYBODY OUT THERE
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE A
MECHANICAL ENGINEER, ALL I TOOK
IS PHYSICS.
OKAY, YOU GUYS?
THAT'S ALL I DID.
I DON'T KNOW --HOW LONG ARE YOU
THERE, EIGHT SEMESTERS?
I TOOK EIGHT SEMESTERS OF
PHYSICS AND THEN ALL THE COURSES
YOU TAKE ARE ACTUALLY BASED ON
PHYSICS.
OKAY.
BUT I TOOK ONE ELECTIVE.
I TOOK ASTRONOMY, RATHER, AS AN
ELECTIVE.
TOOK ONE COURSE IN ASTRONOMY AS
AN ELECTIVE AND CARL SAGAN WAS
THE PROFESSOR AND IT WAS THE
COOLEST THING.
HE WAS SO COMPELLING.
HIS LECTURES, HIS STYLE OF
SPEAKING, HIS INSIGHTS AND HOW
HE CONNECTED ONE THING TO THE
NEXT WERE JUST AMAZING.
IT WAS FANTASTIC.
SO I JOINED--HE STARTED THE
PLANETARY SOCIETY THREE YEARS
AFTER I WAS GRADUATED.
AND I JOINED THE PLANETARY
SOCIETY AND NOW I'M THE C.E.O.
OF THE PLANETARY SOCIETY 35
YEARS LATER.
LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON?
SO, HE HAD A HUGE AFFECT ON ME.
>>WHAT DO YOU THINK HE WOULD SAY
IF HE WERE ALIVE TODAY?
>>WELL YOU KNOW HE AND JAMES
POLLACK, ANOTHER RESEARCHER
REALLY DEVELOPED THESE EARLY
COMPUTER MODELS OF CLIMATE
CHANGE BASED ON NUCLEAR WAR.
WHICH SOUNDS LIKE JUST THIS
CRAZY IDEA THAT YOU WOULD HAVE
SO MANY NUCLEAR WEAPONS
EXPLODED, THEY WOULD THROW SO
MUCH DEBRIS IN THE ATMOSPHERE
THAT THE WORLD WOULD GET COOLER.
AND THEY COINED THIS TERM
'NUCLEAR WINTER'.
AND THIS IS BEFORE ALL THE MAJOR
CLIMATE RESEARCH THAT'S BEEN
DONE RECENTLY.
BY RECENTLY I MEAN THE LAST
THREE DECADES.
BUT THE PARAMETERS OR THE
PHYSICAL CONSTANTS THEY CHOSE TO
MODEL ARE THE SAME ONES THAT
PEOPLE USE TODAY.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARGUE THAT
ANY COMPUTER MODEL IS REALLY
DERIVATIVE OF SAGAN AND POLLACK.
OKAY I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE
BUT THEY'RE VERY LOGICAL THINGS.
HUMIDITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE,
TEMPERATURE OF THE OCEAN,
SURFACE AREA OF THE LAND,
INCLINATION OF THE EARTH AND ITS
ORBIT, THE ECCENTRICITY OF THE
EARTH'S ORBIT.
ALL THESE THINGS, VERY
TRADITIONAL THINGS YOU WOULD
TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
AND THEN, THREE YEARS LATER,
WALTER ALVAREZ VERIFIED OR CAME
UP WITH THIS CRAZY IDEA THAT THE
EARTH HAD BEEN HIT WITH AN
ASTEROID OR AN IMPACTOR OF SO
BIG THAT IT THREW ENOUGH DEBRIS
IN THE ATMOSPHERE TO CAUSE THE
EARTH TO COOL OFF AND CAUSE THE
DEMISE OF THE LARGE ANCIENT
DINOSAURS, OR FINISH THEM OFF.
AND THESE TWO IDEAS CONVERGED IN
THE 1980S.
IT'S REALLY SOMETHING.
SO NOW EVERYBODY IS PRETTY SURE
THAT A BIG IMPACT FINISHED OFF A
LARGE NUMBER OF THE ANCIENT
DINOSAURS, OF THE LARGE ANCIENT
DINOSAURS.
AND YOU DON'T WANT TO GET HIT
WITH AN ASTEROID.
THAT IS BAD.
YOU DON'T WANT THAT.
>>SO DID YOU EVER HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR A ONE-ON-ONE
CONVERSATION WITH CARL SAGAN?
>>YEAH WHEN I WAS AT MY TENTH
COLLEGE REUNION, I MADE AN
APPOINTMENT TO SEE HIM, WHICH
WAS A LOT OF MESSING AROUND.
YOU KNOW YOU HAD TO GET THROUGH
HIS ASSISTANT.
HE WAS HUGELY SUCCESSFUL.
SERIES COSMOS MADE HIM AN
INTERNATIONAL CELEBRITY AND HE'D
WRITTEN A COUPLE BOOKS, THREE
BOOKS BY THEN.
BUT I TALKED TO HIM FOR FIVE
MINUTES AND HE SAID, KIDS
RESONATE TO PURE SCIENCE.
THAT WAS THE VERB HE USED
"RESONATE" AND SO HE REALLY
EMPHASIZED TO ME NOT--IF I WERE
GONNA DO SCIENCE PRESENTATIONS,
NOT TO TALK ABOUT TECHNOLOGY.
TALK ABOUT PURE SCIENCE.
AND THAT IS LARGELY WHY I THINK
THE SCIENCE GUY SHOWS ARE STILL
SHOWN IN SCHOOL.
THE PRINCIPLES WE DEMONSTRATED
ARE THE SAME ONES TRUE TODAY.
THE UNCERTAINTIES ARE STILL
UNCERTAIN AND SO ON.
>>BUT IN YOUR BOOK YOU SAID YOU
CONSIDER US UNSTOPPABLE AS A
SPECIES.
AND WE'RE HERE ON THIS PLANET.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY CHOICE BUT TO
BE HERE.
ALTHOUGH, SOME MAY GET TO OTHER
PLACES.
>>AND THERE'S A FEW I'D LIKE TO
SEND.
>>BUT ARE YOU OF THE BELIEF THAT
WE'RE GONNA RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM
OR WE CAN RESOLVE IT?
DOES THAT FALL TO THIS
GENERATION?
>>THIS PROBLEM CLIMATE CHANGE?
>>CLIMATE CHANGES.
>>WELL IT'S GONNA--HUMANKIND
WILL LIVE THROUGH IT.
I MEAN EVEN IF THE EARTH GETS
EXTRAORDINARILY HOT AND
MISERABLE.
BUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF SO
MANY PEOPLE IS GONNA GO DOWN.
AND IF THESE BIG DISEASES SHOW
UP, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FORGET.
IN MY DAD'S DAY OR MY
GRANDFATHER'S DAY RATHER, 50
MILLION PEOPLE DIED OF THE
SPANISH FLU.
THAT IS MORE PEOPLE THAN DIED IN
COMBAT OF WORLD WAR I.
AND THE SPANISH FLU WAS JUST AN
EXTRAORDINARILY VIRULENT STRAIN.
AND AS YOU LET THE WORLD GET
WARMER MORE OF THESE ESPECIALLY
TROPICAL DISEASES WILL BE
EXTENT, WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE A
LIVING PREYING ON HUMANS.
AND SO, I MEAN THE SCALE OF IT'S
REALLY HARD TO GET.
AND THE REASON, A BIG REASON
EUROPEAN SETTLERS WERE ABLE TO
TAKE OVER THE NORTH AMERICAN
CONTINENT FOR A WHILE WAS
BECAUSE THEY HAD SMALL POX.
WHICH JUST KILLED SO MANY PEOPLE
WHO HAD COME FROM ASIA THE OTHER
WAY.
THE FIRST AMERICANS, FIRST
NATION'S PEOPLE WERE WIPED OUT
BY THIS THING.
AND SO IF YOU START, I MEAN IF
YOU LIKE TO WORRY ABOUT THINGS
THIS IS A GREAT TIME.
BECAUSE IF YOU START HAVING
THESE BIG PANDEMICS AS THEY'RE
CALLED, YOU CAN END UP WITH A
LOT OF PEOPLE DEAD.
AND THE PEOPLE ALIVE HAVE TO
DEAL WITH THEM, THE DEAD PEOPLE.
AND IF YOU END UP WITH SAY ALL
YOUR COMPUTER PROGRAMMERS THAT
RUN THE INTERNET DIE OVER THE
COURSE OF SIX MONTHS, YOU'RE
GONNA HAVE HUGE PROBLEMS, MAN.
AND SO THESE ARE APOCALYPTIC
NOTIONS BUT CLIMATE CHANGE IS
SERIOUS BUSINESS.
THE SOONER WE GET TO WORK ON IT
THE BETTER.
>>AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN
THE NEXT GENERATION, THE NEXT
GREAT GENERATION AS YOU PUT IT.
>>THAT'S RIGHT.
THE NEXT GREAT GENERATION.
THAT'S WHO I'M COUNTING ON.
THESE KIDS, THESE KIDS TODAY
WITH THEIR COMPUTER MACHINES.
YES.
SO I'M REALLY HOPEFUL THAT
THEY'LL GET TO WORK ON THIS.
WE WANT TO ELECTRIFY ALL GROUND
TRANSPORTATION.
WE WANT ALL CARS TO BE ELECTRIC,
TRAINS TO BE ELECTRIC.
AND THEN WE WANT TO MAKE AIR
TRAVEL POWERED BY RENEWABLE
FUEL, HYDROGEN WOULD BE REALLY
GOOD OR BIOFUELS MADE FROM
GENETICALLY MODIFY SOMETHING
LIKE ALGAE TO PRODUCE SUFFICIENT
QUANTITIES OF KEROSENE TO MAKE
PLANES FLY MAYBE, MAYBE.
AND WE GET TO WORK ON THIS.
AND WE TAKE CARBON OUT OF THE
AIR, CARBON CAPTURE AND WE DO
EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE.
LET'S GO!
>>YOU HAVE A CHAPTER IN THE BOOK
THAT DEALS WITH WIND POWER.
HOW MUCH POTENTIAL DOES WIND
POWER HAVE AS PART OF THE
SOLUTION?
>>WELL IN THE UNITED STATES IT'S
WELL OVER HALF.
WE CAN GET HALF OF OUR ENERGY
FROM THE WIND JUST LIKE THAT.
AND BY THE WAY IN FLORIDA, THE
ENORMOUS WIND RESOURCES ARE
RIGHT OFF THE COAST.
ALL THE WAY UP SORT OF THE
EASTERN SEABOARD WE COULD ERECT
WIND TURBINES THERE AND CAPTURE
ENOUGH ENERGY TO RUN THE PLACE
SEVERAL TIMES OVER.
AND YOU COULD DO THIS IN PRETTY
SHORT TERMS.
SO, THIS ORGANIZATION CALLED
"THE SOLUTIONS PROJECT" WHICH IS
OUT OF STANFORD UNIVERSITY IN
CALIFORNIA, HAS DONE AN
ANALYSIS.
TOOK THEM ABOUT TEN YEARS, BUT
YOU COULD POWER ALL OF THE ALL
50 STATES RENEWABLY BY 2050 IF
YOU WANTED TO.
AND BY YOU I MEAN US.
AND YOU SAY, WELL THAT'S NOT
POSSIBLE.
THAT'S ONLY TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.
WE COULDN'T POSSIBLY, THIS IS
RIDICULOUS [MUMBLES].
MY GRANDFATHER WAS IN WORLD WAR
I ON A HORSE.
ON A HORSE.
WORLD WAR II, NOBODY WHO WENT
INTO THAT WAR WENT INTO IT ON A
HORSE.
APPARENTLY THERE'S SOME MYTHIC
CALVARY IN RUSSIA THAT WAS
DESTROYED BY PANZER TANKS OR SO,
OKAY.
BUT THAT WAS--THAT'S NOT THE WAY
TO GO.
YEAH, YEAH.
SO, AND DESTROYED IS NOT GOOD
EITHER WHEN YOU'RE INFANTRY
CALVARY MEN.
SO EVERYTHING CHANGED IN JUST
TWO DECADES BECAUSE IT WAS
IMPORTANT.
THEY WON A WORLD WAR AND THEY
WERE CALLED THE GREATEST
GENERATION.
SO LET'S GO PEOPLE.
LET'S GET TO WORK.
BUT YOU CANNOT RUN AROUND
DENYING IT.
TODAY, FOR WHATEVER REASON, ALL
FOUR OF THE CONSERVATIVE
CANDIDATES ARE CLIMATE CHANGE
DENIERS.
BUT I WONDER IF THAT'S GONNA
LAST.
AFTER SOMEBODY HAS ENOUGH VOTES
TO BE THE CANDIDATE, I WONDER IF
HE'S JUST GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW
I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT CLIMATE
CHANGE AND I CHANGED MY MIND.
AND THE REASON HE WILL DO THAT
IS BECAUSE YOU NEED SOME
MILLENNIAL VOTERS TO WIN THE
NATIONAL ELECTION.
YOU NEED SOME PEOPLE IN THEIR
20S AND 30S.
YOU CAN'T DO IT JUST WITH THE
ARCH CONSERVATIVES WHO VOTE IN
PRIMARIES GENERALLY.
AND SO IN ORDER TO ENGAGE
MILLENNIALS WHO ARE VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
AND CLIMATE CHANGE, I WOULDN'T
BE SURPRISED IF WHOEVER GETS THE
NOD, CHANGES HIS MIND.
>>ANOTHER BIG ISSUE IN FLORIDA
IS THE SPACE PROGRAM.
WHAT ROLE DOES SPACE PLAY IN ALL
OF THIS?
AND IN THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY
FOR THAT MATTER, AND THE WORLD.
>>SO, COUPLE THINGS.
SPACE EXPLORATION, ALL THE MONEY
THAT'S SPENT IN SPACE IS SPENT
ON EARTH EVERYBODY.
AND FLORIDA HAS ALL THIS
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR LAUNCHING
SPACE ASSETS AS WE CALL THEM.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE GET OUR
WEATHER, THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE
TAKE OUT THEIR PHONES TO
DETERMINE WHICH SIDE OF THE
STREET THEY'RE ON.
ALL THAT INFORMATION COMES FROM
OUTER SPACE ULTIMATELY.
SO WE NEED SPACE EXPLORATION OR
SPACE ASSETS FOR THAT.
AND OF COURSE THE MILITARY; OH
MY GOODNESS, ALL THE MONEY, ALL
THE STUFF THAT GOES INTO
MILITARY.
SPY SATELLITES, RECONNAISSANCE,
WEATHER SATELLITES.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT THEN IN THE BIGGER PICTURE,
WE'VE DISCOVERED THAT MARS HAS
WATER EVERY MARTIAN SUMMER.
AND WHEREVER WE FIND LIVING
THINGS ON EARTH, WE FIND LIFE.
I MEAN WHEREVER WE FIND--GEE
WHIZ--WHEREVER WE FIND WATER ON
EARTH WE FIND LIVING THINGS.
EXCUSE ME.
AND SO IT'S VERY REASONABLE THAT
THERE'S SOMETHING STILL ALIVE ON
MARS.
SOME SORT OF CRAZY MARTIAN
MICROBE.
AND IF WE WERE TO DISCOVER THAT
IT WOULD CHANGE THE COURSE OF
HISTORY.
THAT'S MY OPINION.
IT WOULD BE AKIN TO COPERNICUS
SHOWING THAT YOU CAN PREDICT THE
MOTIONS OF THE PLANETS MUCH
BETTER IF YOU PRESUME THE EARTH
GOES AROUND THE SUN, RATHER THAN
THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
AND, OR GALILEO, THE MOON'S NOT
A PERFECT CIRCLE.
IT'S FULL OF CRATERS.
AND IT'S NOT THE ONLY MOON IN
THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND SO ON.
SO SPACE EXPLORATION AS I ALWAYS
SAY BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN US,
AND FLORIDA HAS A HUGE TRADITION
OF THAT.
THE FUTURE IS SO BRIGHT FOR
COMPANIES LIKE SPACEX, AND BLUE
ORIGINS, AND SIERRA NEVADA
SPACE, SIERRA NEVADA
CORPORATION.
THEY'RE JUST--ALL THESE PEOPLE
WANT TO LAUNCH FROM LOWER
LATITUDES IN THE U.S., AND THIS
IS WHERE FLORIDA REALLY HAS TO
COMPETE.
BUT RIGHT NOW, FLORIDA IS THE
PLACE, RIGHT?
WITH ALL THE HISTORY.
BUT I'M HOPING THAT FLORIDA'S
PART OF THE HISTORY IN THE
FUTURE.
NOT JUST THE CELEBRATING THE
ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM FOR
EXAMPLE, THE APPOLO ERA.
BUT I'VE BEEN HERE, I WAS
HERE--WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME I
WAS HERE?
JUNE.
FOR THE LAUNCH OF OUR LIGHT
SAILED SPACECRAFT AND THAT WAS
GREAT.
I WAS HERE FOR THE LAUNCH OF
JUNO, WHICH IS GONNA ORBIT
JUPITER THIS SUMMER.
I WAS HERE FOR THE CURIOSITY
ROVER 2012.
SO, BUT THE LAST LAUNCH I WAS
HERE FOR WAS OUR FALCON 9.
I MEAN THAT WAS FIVE, THAT WAS
FIVE.
LIGHT SAIL LAUNCH, WHICH WAS
REALLY GOOD.
BUT THE NEXT ONE WE'RE ON THE
FALCON HEAVY WHICH IS SUPPOSED
TO BE NOVEMBER.
SO WE'LL BE BACK.
AND I GET NO COMPENSATION BUT I
AM LOOKING FORWARD TO MY NEXT
TRIP TO RON JONS.
>>TELL US ABOUT THE FUTURE IN
TERMS OF WHAT CAUSES YOU TO BE
OPTIMISTIC.
YOU SAID THERE'S A LOT WE CAN
WORRY ABOUT, BUT THERE'S A LOT
OF THINGS WE CAN FIX.
AND CAN WE FIX IT ALL AT ONCE OR
ARE THERE CERTAIN PIECES THAT WE
NEED TO START WITH?
>>YOU HAVE TO BE OPTIMISTIC.
IF YOU DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA
ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING YOU
ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT ACCOMPLISH
IT.
SO I JUST THINK ABOUT MY PARENTS
AND WHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DO.
THEY DIDN'T SET OUT TO BE THE
GREATEST GENERATION.
THEY WERE JUST GOING TO SCHOOL
AND STUFF HAPPENED AROUND THEM
AND THEY GOT INVOLVED.
SO I'M HOPING AS YOU FIND THINGS
HAPPENING AROUND YOU, YOU WILL
GET INVOLVED AND VOTE, AND SO
ON.
>>WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO SEE HAPPEN
IN TERMS OF CHANGING HOW WE DEAL
WITH CLIMATE--BEFORE YOU RETIRE?
>>OUR DREAM IN THE ENGINEERING
COMMUNITY, IN THE ECONOMICS
COMMUNITY, AND EVERYBODY
CONCERNED ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD, EXCEPT
HERE; IS WE HAVE A FEE
ASSOCIATED WITH PRODUCING
CARBON, CARBON DIOXIDE.
WE HAVE A TAX ON THROWING
METHANE OR CARBON DIOXIDE INTO
THE ATMOSPHERE.
IF WE HAD A REASONABLE TAX ON
THAT IT WOULD INFLUENCE
EVERYTHING IN AN AFTERNOON.
IT WOULD BE--BY THE WAY, THE
WHOLE WORLD IS GOING TO
RENEWABLE ENERGY.
FOSSIL FUEL POWERED ECONOMIES
ARE GONNA BE IN THE PAST.
SO IF YOU WANT TO COMPETE WORLD
WIDE, YOU GOT TO PROVIDE
RENEWABLE ENERGY OR SYSTEMS THAT
PROVIDE AND DISTRIBUTE CLEAN
WATER AND CLEAN ELECTRICITY.
AND THEN RELIABLE ACCESS TO THE
INTERNET, TO INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY TO EVERYONE IN THE
WORLD.
SO LET'S GO PEOPLE.
SO THE FUTURE IS NOT IN FOSSIL
FUELS, I'M SORRY.
EVERYBODY, IF YOU TRAVEL AROUND
THE WORLD, EVERYBODY'S MOVING
AWAY FROM THAT.
AND EVEN TEXAS, WHICH YOU KNOW,
YOU MIGHT THINK OF AS AN OIL
STATE HAS 10% OF ITS ELECTRICITY
FROM THE WIND EVEN TODAY.
10% IS HUGE.
THAT'S A HUGE START.
SO I'M HOPING WE'LL GET TO WORK
ON THIS.
>>GREAT.
WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US TODAY, BILL NYE.
>>THANK YOU.
VOTE EVERYBODY!
DID I MENTION THAT?
>>AND FOR GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES,
I'M JOHN BERSIA AND WE'LL SEE
YOU NEXT TIME.
