It’s the year 2024, and at this point the evidence for the human-driven climate crisis could not be clearer. Forgetting the evidence, even non-scientific types can see something is going on, as the world is experiencing increasingly extreme weather events, including wildfires, floods, and record-breaking temperatures. Right now, for instance, ocean temperatures have hit a peak which is making life within them intolerable:
🚨 Yet another mass coral bleaching crisis is impacting reefs worldwide due to record-shattering ocean temperatures.
This is the 2nd crisis in the last 10 years, and the 4th ever. No clearer evidence of the devastating impacts of climate change. https://t.co/0zuFTHzOHa
— WWF UK (@wwf_uk) April 16, 2024
Despite all this, the BBC is still inviting climate deniers onto its platform.
This time, thankfully, they did at least counterbalance the rich dope they had on with someone who could convey the scientific consensus on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg:
Luke Johnson on climate change: “Where’s the evidence that any of that is connected to carbon emissions?"
Chris Packham: “It doesn’t come from Toby Young’s Daily ‘Septic’ which is put together by those close to the FF industry, it comes from something called science"#bbclaurak pic.twitter.com/dyEJkHDMeb
— David (@Zero_4) April 21, 2024
wHeRe’S tHe EvIdEnCe!? Well, Chris Packham had it.
In a roundtable discussion on Kuenssberg, Chris Packham asked:
What about the ordinary people of Dubai last week?
If you didn’t know, Dubai – a place famous for its dryness – has been experiencing extreme flooding:
The floods in Dubai have been insane! pic.twitter.com/edH6ztT29E
— Pavvy G (@pavyg) April 17, 2024
Packham continued:
What about the ordinary people of the Global South, that has just experienced the hottest year ever, where their crops have failed?
There’s plenty of data on this too:
"On March 19 this year, the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation released its annual State of the Global Climate reconfirming that 2023 was hottest by far than any year ever recorded. The year also broke several major global climate records; the WMO had also warned that 2024… https://t.co/gyz3z3kZqC
— Matthias Honegger (@HoneggerM) April 19, 2024
South Africa has experienced two months of extremely dry and hot weather — February and March.
The impact of harsh weather conditions on agriculture across the country is visible through crop failures. The 2023/24 summer grain and oilseed production is down 21% year-on-year,… pic.twitter.com/SSz3JsWmvN
— Wandile Sihlobo (@WandileSihlobo) April 20, 2024
Crop failures all across world from Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe Vietnam Morocco from deadly heat
whilst in places like UK some crops can not even be sown its so wet
Devastating climate change is here now whilst politicians promise to end fossil fuels by 2050
photo Nhac NGUYEN https://t.co/l17GxNFIb3 pic.twitter.com/kfIIfRXN1a— GO GREEN (@ECOWARRIORSS) April 13, 2024
Packham then noted:
There have been extensive wildfires.
And once again:
With drought already affecting several provinces, Canada is set for an even more catastrophic fire season than last year. https://t.co/jNshXCaLBg
— Extinction Rebellion Global (@ExtinctionR) April 15, 2024
It only took one day of warm temperatures and very low humidity for there to be a wildfire in rural Western WA. This isn’t a good sign…so please be very careful in future fire weather days. #wawx https://t.co/1MSUb7Fqwa
— Matthew Pfab (@The_Weatherman2) April 21, 2024
At this point, Luke Johnson – the angry, gesticulating numbskull sat across from him – interrupted to bellow:
WHERE’S THE EVIDENCE THAT ANY OF THAT IS CONNECTED TO CARBON EMISSIONS?
Chris Packham responded:
Well it doesn’t come from Toby Young’s ‘Daily Septic’ which is basically put together by a bunch of professionals with close affiliations to the fossil fuel industry, it comes from… something called ‘science’.
For those unfamiliar with Toby Young, he’s a guy who’s made a career out of being wrong about everything, and he writes a blog called the Daily Sceptic. Individual instances of Young being wrong are too many to mention, but the funniest is when he thought he’d disproved the concept of ‘friendship’ because no one turned up to his stag-do:
There’s a reason only 4 out of 10 people turned up to Toby Young’s stag do. Clue: because he’s a fucking cunt. pic.twitter.com/Zt9C5CLl4q
— Rob (@robn1980) January 3, 2018
Back to the topic at hand, and yes the answer is ‘science’ – something we have an unfathomable amount of at this point.
Given the scientific consensus, it’s unclear why the BBC keeps inviting doubters on to argue the point. Should we debate whether the Earth orbits the sun, or whether the planet is flat?
No, of course we shouldn’t.
And let’s not forget, the factuality of a human-driven climate crisis isn’t just backed up by the science; it’s also overwhelmingly acknowledged by the public.
So why is this niche opinion given airtime by the national broadcaster?
And who the fuck is Luke Johnson?
Climate denialism is popular among the ultra-wealthy. Why? Because implementing measures to prevent total climate breakdown would lead to them earning fractionally less than they’re predicting to earn in future. That doesn’t mean they’d earn less, notably, as the status quo is they earn more and more each year; it just means their yearly gains would be marginally less gainly:
Knowing that, would you believe Mr Johnson is yet another rich guy who’s failed his way upwards?
Luke Johnson’s complete rejection of the scientific evidence on climate change mirrors his half-witted attitude to Covid-19… and running businesses like Patisserie Valerie? #bbclaurak https://t.co/n0DhgQcgtf
— Ian Fraser (@Ian_Fraser) April 21, 2024
The Guardian reported in 2019:
Luke Johnson, the business guru whose reputation crumbled after the implosion of Patisserie Valerie, the cafe chain he chaired, has broken his long silence over an incident he said had left feeling him physically ill…
Despite Johnson’s desperate attempts to rescue Patisserie Valerie, including lending it £10m of his own money, it went bust in January after the discovery of a widespread accounting fraud that masked a £94m black hole in its accounts.
Johnson’s management of the chain worked out incredibly poorly for the company’s employees:
The collapse of Patisserie Valerie, which employed 3,000 people after a breakneck expansion masterminded by Johnson, is one of the biggest stock market upsets of recent years. The company was valued at £450m before it flagged up the potential fraud, and the administration wiped out shareholders, including Johnson, who owned a 37% stake.
No to worry, though, as Retail Gazette reported in 2022 that Johnson was expected to benefit from a multi-million pound Patisserie Valerie settlement (with the fraud blamed on other directors).
Who could have predicted that the climate denier has a history of being duped by other rich guys?
The British Bullshit Corporation
Many questioned Johnson’s inclusion on the panel:
Unsure why @bbclaurak had a climate sceptic on this morning. Luke Johnson has referred to "the 'climate emergency' delusion" and "the green elite’s fake claim that there’s a ‘climate emergency’". What qualifications does a bakery owner have to pontificate on climate on the bbc?
— Helena Horton (@horton_official) April 21, 2024
Why does Laura K invite a climate skeptic entrepreneur Luke Johnson to the program who said wrong things & not believe in science?!
Chris Packham mentioned Dubai flooding, highest temp, wild fire & that idiot still argue for evidence!#bbclaurak pic.twitter.com/kWloHNEjOG
— FrogyUK🌿🐾💚🇪🇺💙 (@frogyuk) April 21, 2024
#bbclaurak
Luke Johnson, a businessman with a string of failed ventures, denies climate change. During a debate with environmentalist Chris Packham, his arguments fell apart. However, the host #bbclaurak didn't challenge Johnson on his business failures or his climate change… pic.twitter.com/TgAsPF0r1k— Gillani Syed (@Syed_GiLLaniG) April 21, 2024
If Johnson was a poor person, the BBC would ignore his ramblings. Because he’s rich, we have to pretend he has the intellectual heft to act as an authority on any given subject.
Other people pointed out some underlying issues with climate denialism:
Here’s my message for #climate change denier Luke Johnson on #bbclaurak 👇 pic.twitter.com/IUAvAqQiKW
— Kate (@timetospeakoutt) April 21, 2024
Some pointed out that the science isn’t just clear now; it’s been clear for half a century:
What evidence is there that carbon emissions change the climate, asked Luke Johnson.
Exxon knew in the 1970s, @LukeJohnsonRCP.
Nathaniel Rich covers it well in his 2019 book ‘Losing Earth’.https://t.co/GwUdkbz4EZ@bbclaurak #bbclaurak
— Random Hajile @[email protected] (@EliModnar) April 21, 2024
Fair play to Johnson, he did at least have the decency to pipe down a bit when he realised he had zero argument beyond whining ‘wHeRe’S tHe EvIdEnCe!?’
The defeat in his eyes after “SCIENCE” was incredible to watch pic.twitter.com/3hAbvWXa2E
— Neil Williams (@Nellybums) April 21, 2024
National fraudcasting on Kuenssberg. Thank god for Chris Packham.
The BBC is an absolute toilet of a broadcaster, and Laura Kuenssberg is the misused and unwashed toilet brush besides it. You really shouldn’t expect any better at this point. Arguably, they’re only going to get worse.
Although their climate-denying guest got shown up, allowing him on at all still gives the impression that these goons have something to say. Luke Johnson may think he can contribute to the debate, but unlike with climate change, the evidence simply isn’t there.
Featured image via BBC
