Fox News host Tucker Carlson stumped a California college professor, who claimed that “98 percent” of the world’s scientists believe in global warming, when he asked the academic how he reached his number.
California State University, Sacramento, professor Joseph Palermo went on Carlson’s show to defend a Huffington Post op-ed where he argued that Trump’s administration shouldn’t be allowed to use Twitter since they believed “the science of global warming is bogus.”
Palermo said some of his remarks were taken out of context, but Carlson pressed him on the claim he made during the interview Wednesday night — that 98 percent of scientists believe in the science behind extreme climate change scenarios.
“How do you know that? Are you a scientist or have you polled other scientists? Where’d you get that figure?” Carlson asked Palermo.
Palermo couldn’t answer the question.
“That wasn’t what the blog was about,” Palermo said. “I was accused of advocating censorship … .”
“How do you know that 98 percent of the world’s scientists believe what you believe?” Carlson pressed.
“Are you a climate change denier or skeptic,” Palermo countered. “Is that where you’re at?” he jibbed.
Palermo is likely referring to the oft-touted “97 percent” consensus that human-emitted greenhouse gases can cause global warming, taken from a 2013 study by Australian researcher John Cook.
Cook’s study has been thoroughly debunked by experts who found the actual “consensus” is scarcely 0.3 percent.
A survey of 4,000 meteorologists and other climate experts who are members of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) found about one-third of them don’t agree with the so-called global warming “consensus” that humans are the cause of the most recent observed warming.
“You’re practicing a species of religion where anybody who doesn’t believe what you believe is a heretic and should be penalized,” Carlson told Palermo.
“The essence of science and of journalism is skepticism because it seeks to get to the truth, and I’m merely asking you who just said as a statement of fact that 98 percent of the world’s scientists agree with you — with whatever you believe. I’m wondering how you know that,” Carlson shot back.
“Well with your giant research team you can send people out and find out about it,” Palermo said.
“I was accused of advocating censorship of the president of the United States by a bunch of right-wing websites. Now you tell me, can a professor in California censor the president of the United States?” Palermo said, avoiding Carlson’s question.
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