In the wake of Hurricane Harvey’s havoc on southeast Texas and with Hurricane Irma poised to slam into Florida, Real Time host Bill Maher declared on his show that the time for politicians to start seriously talking about climate change is now.
Pointing out that after mass shootings Republicans usually say things like, “it’s not the time to talk about guns,” Maher said they’re now giving the same treatment to hurricanes, saying that its not the time to talk about climate change.
“Well, I’m sorry, this is the time to talk about climate,” Maher said. “I have a simple question: if you’re going to accept federal aid for a storm, shouldn’t you also accept the science on climate change?”
One the show’s panelists, conservative commentator S.E. Cupp, chimed in and said that people should still question climate science because that’s the “basis of scientific inquiry.”
“And so to say that ‘I don’t know if hurricanes are caused by climate change’ — every scientist I read this week said they don’t cause them but they’re probably making them more intense,” Cupp said. “We just don’t actually know yet. I think it’s okay to say that.”
“What question?” Maher shot back. “What question are we asking though? What question is still out there?”
Cupp said the “human roots” of climate change is something that scientists still “do not have that answer” for.
Watch the exchange below:
Featured image via screen grab
