As millions celebrate Earth Day as a way to promote science and other causes, Republicans and conservatives are pushing back. The issue was discussed during an interview on CNN where TV show host and mechanical engineer bill nye "The Science Guy" criticized the network for giving a science skeptic equal time.

CNN clash

One of the hottest topics in American politics in 2017 is the debate over climate change. Usually split down partisan party lines, liberals and Democrats have come out in favor of strong legislation to fight climate change, citing scientific facts for their reasons.

Many Republicans, on the other hand, dispute the facts, while citing what many refer to as "pseudoscience" that uses questionable information to downplay or dismiss the evidence and scientific theories. Like their opposition to Evolution, the issue of climate change is one that many on the right even goes as far as calling a hoax, with President Donald Trump once claiming that global warming was a "created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive." These issues were discussed during a April 22 Earth Day panel discussion on CNN.

Joining CNN host Victor Blackwell on Saturday was May Boeve of the activist group 350.org, as well as Bill Nye, and climate denier and physics professor as Princeton University William Harper.

Harper has been known to be skeptical of the scientific evidence backing the impact of climate change, most notably being his dismissal of the level of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere. In response to the conversation, Nye wasn't pleased that Harper was even allowed on the program.

"As much I love CNN, you are doing a disservice by having one climate change skeptic, and not 97 or 98 scientists or engineers concerned about climate change," Bill Nye said.

Harper later noted that he recently met with the president, saying that Donald Trump is "very supportive of science," despite his recent actions in the White House showing otherwise. Nye didn't stop there, warning of the danger of denying the scientifically backed evidence about climate change, noting that it would lead to "fall(ing) behind other countries that do invest in science, that do invest in basic research."

Moving forward

As the debate over science and climate change continues, it doesn't appear that Republicans and Democrats will be on the same page at any point in the near future. With Donald Trump in the White House and Republicans with a majority-control of Congress, those who support science will have a tough fight on their hands for the foreseeable future.
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