In a truly jaw dropping moment on Australian TV on Monday night (3 Feb 2020), a well-known political climate denialist, Senator Jim Molan, confesses that the reason he does not accept that humans cause climate change is because he is … “Not Relying On Evidence”.
Below in fact is that precise moment. It’s a truly fun moment. Senator Jim Molan ducks and weaves, but the interviewer, Hamish Macdonald is not letting him get away with it. The audience loves it because Jim reveals himself to be a complete plonker.
I suspect you will enjoy it as well.
The segments opens with well-known climate scientist Michael E Mann being asked by the host of the new look Q+A Hamish Macdonald “What is your scientific View”?
Michael: My View is the view of the world’s scientific community. Every scientific Institution in the world that has weighted in on this matter. Climate change is real. It is human caused. It is already leading to disastrous impacts here in Australia and around the rest of the world, and it will get much worse if we don’t act.
Hamish then turns to senator Jim Molan and asks “Jim Molan, do you accept that scientific View?”
Jim: I certainly accept that the climate is changing. It has changed and it will change and what it’s producing is hotter and dryer weather and a hotter and dryer country
Hamish: And what’s causing that?
Jim: As to whether it is human induced climate change my mind is open
(Audience starts mocking him)
Jim: But this is … this is …
Hamish holding up hand to audience: Let’s hear the senator out
Jim: This is not the key question. The key question is what are you going to do about it?
Hamish: I’m sorry senator, but that was my question … is what you think is causing it. Why is your mind open?
Jim: Because the … Michael might say that the science is settled, and I respect, very much respect the scientific opinion, but every day, across my desk, comes enough information for me to say that there are other opinions.
Hamish: So what is that information, what’s the actual information that you have?
Jim: Oh I see so much. You know, I’m a very practical man, Hamish. I’m going to get out there and do things, which, see the one thing that …
Hamish: Sorry sorry, but could you answer the question Senator.
Jim: Wait until I answer. The one thing that I agree with, Hamish, …
Hamish: What is the information that you have seen, that …
Jim: The one thing that I agree with Michael is that climate change, and our policies in relation to climate change, are designed to mitigate the risk. It’s very difficult to mitigate the risk. You can go back and look for the last hundred years, how or why it started. If we can’t mitigate risk, then we’ve got to adapt. And that’s the key to what we’re doing.
Hamish: Senator, I’m sorry, but you haven’t answered the question, which is, you said you get information across your desk every day which leads you to doubt or to be open minded about the science.
Jim: Yeah, I’m open minded about it.
Hamish: What is that information?
Jim: It’s a range of information which goes ….
(Audience is laughing at him and mocking him)
Jim: It’s a range of …
Jim (to audience): Thank you.
Hamish to audience: Sorry, could we respectfully listen to the senator
Hamish: I’m just trying to get to the bottom of this. What is the evidence that you are relying on?
Jim: I’m not relying on evidence Hamish. I am saying
(Audience is again mocking and laughing at him)
Michael E Mann quips: You said it.
Jim: But this is why my mind is open. I would love to be convinced one way or the other. But to be prudent, what the government is doing, is it’s got a climate … an emissions reduction policy. And it’s a good policy. And it will mitigate the risk the maximum that it can, and where risk cannot be mitigated, it will adapt. and that’s what we’ve got to work on.
Michael E Mann (using fake Australian accent): Yeah, now, come on now mate.
(Audience loves it)
Jim to Audience: And he’s an American
Michael: Now you know … that you should keep an open mind, but not so open that your brain falls out.
(Audience laughs and applauses)
Michael: When it comes to this issue, when it comes to human caused climate change, its literally the consensus of the world’s scientists that’s it is caused by human activity
Further Reading
In the media:
- Guardian: ‘I’m not relying on evidence’ for climate change: Jim Molan angers audience in new-look Q&A
- ABC Net: Senator Jim Molan grilled over climate change, bushfire response on Q+A with Hamish Macdonald
Wikipedia biographies …