Bill Nye is not a politician. He has never held elected office, written a law or led a campaign. However, Northwestern College Democrats chose him to be their spring speaker, in an event that sold out the 989-seat Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. North by Northwestern checked out the politics behind what everyone’s favorite science guy had to say.
Climate change denial
Nye referenced Chicago’s temperature records during his speech to bring home the scientific data behind the existence of climate change, showing that recent years have been significantly warmer than average.
Climate change is projected to take a serious toll on the Windy City. The EPA finds that heat waves similar to the 1995 disaster that led to 700 deaths could happen up to three times a year by 2100, and the average number of heat-related deaths could quadruple. Lake Michigan could also be adversely affected, with 2013 water levels hitting an all-time low.
Nye talked about how he harnesses solar power in his own home, so he would probably be happy to hear that the City of Evanston is doing the same. He would also be glad to hear that Northwestern is working on a project to turn solar power into liquid fuel, as well as increase the efficiency of solar energy.
Nye also took shots at those who deny the existence of climate change in the national political arena.
“People who are in denial of climate change, to me, are just not paying attention, or they’re working very hard to protect special interests that are their own, not the world’s,” Nye said.
Nye was most likely alluding to politicians that some believe make their decisions about climate change to protect oil interests.
Much of the money donated to groups against government action to mitigate climate change is donated in secret, but some of the public evidence does back up Nye’s argument. Wei Hock-Soon, a Harvard scientist referred to as the “high priest” of those who deny the existence of climate change, received over $1.2 million of money tied to oil interests like Exxon Mobil, the American Petroleum Institute and the Koch brothers.
Carbon tax
Nye also discussed carbon taxes, which he referred to as a “carbon fee and dividend system,” joking that “we cannot use the word tax, never say that word, there is no such thing as tax.”
Carbon taxes levy higher taxes on products or actions based on their carbon dioxide emissions, which Nye said would “encourage the right kind of consumption … fossil fuels would cost more, so people would use them less.”
74 countries have signed a World Bank declaration in favor of something akin to a carbon tax, but the United States is not on that list. Though there are prominent supporters of a carbon tax in the US, some believe that it would be economically detrimental, impractical and politically infeasible, especially since fossil fuels still make up 85% of all energy use in the US.
Creationism in education
Nye also discussed his famous debate with prominent creationist Ken Hamm, arguing that teaching creationism in schools is not only unconstitutional, but also detrimental to the future of the United States.
“If you’re a Creationist and you think the earth is 6,000 years old, knock yourself out, but don’t make your children do it, because we need them to change the world,” Nye said.
The Science Guy was not exaggerating the extent of creationism in public education: it is entirely legal in Tennessee and Louisiana to teach creationism in public schools, and states like Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Colorado, Georgia and Florida all allow tax-funded vouchers to go to private schools that teach creationism. Illinois sends no tax dollars to creationism in education, but more than one quarter of states do so in some capacity.