“By the end of this century, if emissions keep rising, the average temperature on Earth could go up another four to eight degrees,†Bill Nye the Science Guy explained while setting a globe alight during Sunday’s Last Week Tonight. “What I’m saying is: The planet’s on fucking fire.†The renowned TV host and science person stopped by John Oliver’s HBO show this weekend to explain carbon pricing, before segueing into an angrier, bluer character we’ll go ahead and call Bill Nye the Science Man when discussing climate change.
The segment, part of Oliver’s episode on the Green New Deal, went viral on Monday, due in no small part to the novelty of hearing Bill Nye the Science Guy say “fuck.†Caring enough about climate change to actually make the necessarily global changes, however? That’s going to require at least two “fucks†and one of Bill Nye’s signature edu-taining demonstrations, which he begrudgingly gives.
“There are a lot of things we could do to put it out,†Nye said of his burning globe. “Are any of them free? No, of course not! Nothing’s free, you idiots! Grow the fuck up. You’re not children anymore. I didn’t mind explaining photosynthesis to you when you were 12, but you’re adults now, and this is an actual crisis, got it?†Concluded Nye, “Safety glasses off, motherfuckers.â€