LARRY WILMORE (HOST): Tonight, I really want to talk about climate change and the election. So, so far in the debates, only 22 questions out of almost like 1,500 were about climate change. Right? And the Democrats were twice as likely to be asked, while the two leading Republicans, the Republicans who are leading right now, Trump and Cruz, have not been asked a single question. So why do you think climate change isn't being taken seriously in this election?
BILL NYE: That's a great question. I think people are fascinated with the activities in the Republican party. They haven't gotten around to the issues. But I will say that there are still three guys in right now, right? And who knows what will happen at the convention, who's going to be vice president. Might be a woman on the ticket and so on. But all of them so far have been adamant deniers. And I met a guy the other day who wants to be called a doubter.
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NYE: These guys are in denial. They're just -- they're adamant. They don't see the connection between carbon dioxide, methane and the world getting warmer. They ignore all the data. So it's very troubling, you guys, and it's really the conservatives have gotten funded by the fossil fuel industry, and there's been this -- there's big concern that the number of people in the voting populace is not very high with respect to climate change. They haven't heard of it. They don't remember it. They set it aside in their minds. And that's because of the success of these deniers that have worked so hard funded almost entirely by the fossil fuel industry. And you can look at their 990s.
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WILMORE: How can we get people to stop making this a political issue? Because when I was a kid, it didn't feel like it was a political issue. You're the science guy, give us the science! OK everybody listen.
NYE: If you're out there, some hard-hitting investigative reporters. And you'll -- we recognize you because you wear knit ties and they're loose. I want you to ask the candidates about climate change directly. What are you going to do about climate change? What we need are big ideas. We need to pull together and do these, these extraordinary things. Hoover Dam, Grand Coulee Dam, person on the moon. We can do big things.
