Let’s apply some simple math to the climate change debate Despite a recent government report that we’re already experiencing the effects of climate change, one in four Americans is skeptical, according to a Gallup poll. TV host John Oliver says part of the problem is that climate change is continually debated on U.S. news — typically with Bill Nye as the face of science — despite the fact that 97 percent of scientists agree it’s a real and serious problem. During his HBO show “Last Week Tonight,” Oliver stressed that we should be discussing what to do about climate change instead of debating its existence. "You don’t need people’s opinion on a fact," he said. "You might as well have a poll asking: ‘Which number is bigger: 15 or 5?’ or ‘Do owls exist?’ or ‘Are there hats?’" To emphasize his point, Oliver staged what an appropriate climate change debate would look like by bringing on Bill Nye — and 96 other scientists — to debate three “climate skeptics.”
